Abstract Mkid 27

severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) to partial upper airway obstruction. It is known that OSAS has a clear effect on the quality of life (QOL) and cognitive performance. Usually attention is paid to clear-cut OSAS with notable hypoxia. A large variety of other respiratory events, characterised by partial upper airway obstruction, causing sleep fragmentation are thus ignored. The purpose of the present work was to see, whether milder SRBD with repetitive nocturnal respiratory events and transient arousals, but without marked hypoxia would have a corresponding impact on the QOL and daytime performance as has been reported for OSAS. The QOL and cognitive functions of 15 mild SRBD patients were compared to those of healthy control subjects. The QOL was studied by a questionnaire, and cognitive functions were measured by standardised internationally utilised tests. Six out of 11 QOL items were significantly (p<0.05) lower in the SRBD group. For instance, sense of well being, social satisfaction, and mood were notably reduced. Patients showed also signs of various physical symptoms, such as feeling dizzy or sick. Statistically significant results were found in two out of 22 cognitive tests: visual memory, concentration and auditory reaction time. Although mild SRBD patients seemed to do worse subjectively than objectively, as measured by standardised neuropsychological tests, sleep fragmentation caused by repetitive respiratory disturbances seems to have an impact on daytime performance and well being. SRBD should not be ignored even if the respiratory events do not fulfil the formal criteria usually applied for the recognition of the apneic events.