Alternative diagnostische Verfahren in der respiratorischen Schlafmedizin

Recently, numerous new diagnostic possibilities based on technical innovations have emerged in sleep medicine, especially in the field of sleep-disordered breathing. This article highlights selected new diagnostic approaches as well as technical advancements of already established methods, with which sleep physicians are already confronted in their clinical practice.

The article discusses alternative approaches based on reduced systems compared with current standard diagnostics. These include systems that are based on a reduced number of recording channels compared to current standard diagnostics, such as peripheral pulse oximetry or cardiopulmonary coupling, but also wearable devices (wearables) and smartphone applications as well as diagnostics using ambulatory electroencephalographic derivation.

Furthermore, alternatives to the established out- and inpatient recordings are available, among others based on peripheral arterial tonometry. Innovative approaches are shown in the field of radar-based systems for contactless monitoring of sleep, as well as the use of artificial intelligence, such as for acoustic analysis of breathing sounds during sleep.

Overall, these technologies represent promising advancements in sleep medicine that have the potential to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of sleep disorders. In particular, the ability to longitudinally record multiple nights in the home setting could compensate for reduced precision in the recording of biological parameters. However, only a small number of these methods has been sufficiently validated to date; furthermore, for the majority of these procedures, there is still no possibility for reimbursement under the German statutory health insurance.