Longer nightly duration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use can help those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) achieve normal daytime functioning.

The study, conducted by Terri E. Weaver, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, focused on 149 patients with severe OSA at seven sleep centers in the United States and Canada. Before treatment and again after three months of CPAP, the participants completed a day of testing that included measures of daytime sleepiness and functional status.

The findings indicated that a greater percentage of participants impaired prior to the initiation of CPAP achieved decreased daytime sleepiness and enhanced functioning to normal levels with longer nightly CPAP durations.

Dr. Weaver identified a couple of important clinical measures from this study.

"From a population sense, functions for predicted probabilities of normalization show that more CPAP use is associated with greater relief of sleepiness, no matter how it's measured," said Weaver.

According to Dr. Weaver, there are also patients who normalize on therapy with somewhat limited CPAP use.

"The actual need for CPAP in terms of reversing sleepiness is likely to be individually determined," said Weaver.…