Last week, ITV Anglia News put the spotlight on Track & Know’s health pilot at NHS Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, UK. They paid a visit to Dr. Ian Smith at the hospital ward where patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) receive treatment and also focussed on the ongoing research within the framework of this H2020 project. Researcher Kieran Lee explained how this pilot study measures driving behaviour by recording brain waves and using phone apps. The study ultimately aims to develop a test which will indicate to people if it is safe for them to drive.
In the case of OSA, breathing stops due to a complete or partial obstruction of the airways. This may be due to factors such as old age, weak muscles in the airways, a large tongue or obesity. OSA has a negative impact on the general quality of life as a result of the reduced blood oxygen saturation and lack of good quality sleep in patients. As a result, patients are often sleepy during the day, resulting in amongst other problems a higher risk of traffic accidents. Approximately 10 percent of all adults worldwide suffer from OSA[1] .
[1] Valentine, K., Ayas, N., Eastwood, P. R., Heinzer, R. C., Ip, M. S., Patel, S. R., Peppard, P. E., Sinha, S., Tufik, S., Nunez, C. & Malhotra, A. Global Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults: Estimation Using Currently Available Data. B67. Risk and Prevalence of Sleep Disordered Breathing