Abstract Introduction The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases with age and the prevalence of central neurologic diseases. In adults over 65yrs, the prevalence can be as high as 35.9%. Questionnaires, such as STOP-BANG (SB) or Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), are often utilized to assess the risk of OSA and the need for in lab polysomnography (PSG). Previous studies suggest the STOPB-28 (SB28), which excludes age, sex, neck size, and adjusts the BMI cutoff to 28, is better tailored to those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Our goal was to examine the correlation of the questionnaire scores in patients with MCI who underwent PSG with the severity of OSA. Methods The data were extracted from 43 patients enrolled in a cognitive registry who had a PSG within three years of their initial cognitive evaluation. Participants completed SB and ESS questionnaires before their PSG. Patients were excluded with a Montral Cognitive Assessment Score (MOCA) less than 18. Hypopnea events were scored using 3% or arousal hypopnea criteria. Correlation coefficients between questionnaires and obstructive AHI were calculated (significance p 0.05). Fisher exact tests and odds ratios (OR) were used to compare questionnaire predicted outcomes with PSG, using SB scores 3 and 5 and SB28 score 2. Results The average age of the cohort was 70.8yrs ± 7.7, 60% male, and average MOCA of 24.0 ± 3.1. 88% of the participants had OSA. Mild, moderate, and severe OSA were present in 23.3%, 41.9%, and 23.3% of the total participants, respectively. ESS, SB, and SB28 questionnaires did not correlate with obstructive AHI (R 0.2). Fisher exact test did not show a significant association between SB score 3 or 5, or SB28 with AHI 15 (p = 0.11, 0.35 and 0.14 respectively), or OR 6.75 (95% CI: 0.63-71.7), 2.06 (95% CI: 0.52-8.10) and 2.63 (95% CI: 0.69¬9.89). Conclusion In our cohort with MCI, the ESS, SB, and SB28 did not correlate with severity of OSA. The data suggest additional screening may be needed to evaluate the risk of OSA in patients with MCI. Support (if any)
Ismail et al. (2026) studied this question.