Cheeks Appearance as a Novel Predictor of Obstructive Sleep Apnea The CASA Score Study

Cheeks Appearance for Sleep Apnea (CASA score) is a screening tool developed to observe adults people cheeks appearance to identify volume, being 0 for no volume, 1 for mild volume, 2 for moderate volume and 3 for severe volume; or flaccidity, being 0 for no flaccidity, 1 for mild flaccidity, 2 for moderate flaccidity and 3 for severe flaccidity. In the end of CASA score screening we sum up the score of volume with the score and the flaccidity score to reach the CASA score, the final result that can range from 0 to 6 points.

This study was applied in three moments, being the first one only the application of CASA score and a facial imaging to facilitate the replicability. The data collection and enrollment of 248 participants were made in a sleep private clinic in participants undergoing polysomnography. All this part of data collection was applied for a 3 months period. This first part was the validation of CASA score protocol with internal validity.

The second part was carried out 1 year after in which all participants enrolled were evaluated by CASA score and facial imaging, as the first part, in a sleep private clinic while doing polysomnography. Additionally, procedures such as ultrasonography images of specific orofacial muscles, followed by tongue and cheeks pressure evaluation were carried out just after the CASA score and facial imaging based on photography registers. In this second part, others 71 participants were recruited.

The third and last part was a case-control study in which 20 of the 71 anterior part of the data collection were invited to take part in the last part of the study, that was the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, so 10 non obstructive sleep apnea participants and 10 obstructive sleep apnea participants were chosen and invited, 19 accepted and carried out the last part. This last part was underwent in an outpatient clinic of an otorhinolaryngologist or ear, nose and throat physician (ENT) with a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT).

Description of the methods:

Ultrasonography was made with a portable device which was positioned in the face of the participant and slide for the direction needed to capture the image of the muscle targeted like masseter, buccinator and tongue. Those were the three muscles evaluated by the ultrasonography exam.

Tongue and cheeks pressure evaluation was made with IOPI medical equipment which had a small bulb coupled in the device and its bulb was positioned inside the mouth of the participant in the tongue and the participant was instructed to press as hard as he could against the hard palate. In the cheeks was positioned in the oral vestibule between the cheek and the teeth, and the pressure was applied by the cheeks.

Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES): a micro camera of a endoscopy was inserted in the participant nose to look the nasopharynx and oropharynx. The fiberoptic was kept in the nasopharynx to see the participant eating, first a liquid consistency (5 and 10 ML), pureed consistency (5 and 10 ML) and solid food (half cracker and 1 whole cracker). The whole exam lasted 15 to 20 minutes, maximum.

Inclusion criteria

• Sleep complaints
• 18 years old or older
• Undergoing polysomnography in the private sleep clinic

Exclusion criteria

• Previous OSA diagnose
• Severe comorbidities such as neurologic diseases or others condition that could cause facial edema or facial deformities
• Facial hair that could difficult the facial landmarks visualization
• Previous facial surgical procedure