Bryn Sparks

The medicalisation of snoring has led to new industries of diagnosis, treatment, and transport regulation. Christopher Bryn Sparks’ research develops a new mapping technique to model internet-searches about snoring to help investigate medicalisation in the digital era. This research explores the medicalisation of snoring across multiple levels: at the micro-level of individuals in whom the internet-search influences conceptions of snoring, at the meso-level of websites wherein competition for attention interacts through search-engine feedback to amplify medicalisation, and at the macro-level of the internet demonstrating how the shifting conception of snoring over time reflects a dynamic pattern of medicalisation.

L'invention concerne un circuit de limitation d'alimentation pour equipement de surveillance physiologique photo-optique, ledit equipement de surveillance physiologique photo-optique etant concu pour mesurer une ou plusieurs propriete(s) physiologique(s) d'un sujet par eclairage d'un partie dudit sujet a l'aide d'une ou de plusieurs source(s) lumineuse(s), ce qui produit un signal lumineux modifie reflechi ou emis representatif de la propriete physiologique mesuree. Le signal lumineux modifie est detecte a l'aide d'un ou de plusieurs photodetecteur(s), le ou les photodetecteur(s) etant concu(s) pour produire un signal de sortie representatif du signal lumineux modifie frappant le photodetecteur. L'equipement de surveillance physiologique photo-optique est caracterise en ce que le circuit de limitation d'alimentation comprend un commutateur d'isolation, un condensateur et un tampon de signaux, le condensateur etant concu afin de maintenir l...

Habitual snoring needs to be taken seriously, both as a symptom of other sleep disorders and as a condition in its own right. GPs approached by patients with problematic snoring face a dilemma regarding whether (and to which service) those patients should be referred for a specialist opinion. Using the Sparks Chart, snoring patients can be grouped according to the two symptomatic dimensions of excessive daytime sleepiness and nocturnal hypoxaemia. We believe that the approach outlined in this article offers GPs a coherent and pragmatic guideline for referring and/or managing problematic snoring by using a simple questionnaire and pulse oximetry. The method has the potential to improve primary and secondary liaison. Most importantly, it offers patients a straight path to treatment.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the mainstay of treatment for patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). However, tolerance and compliance are poor. An audit using the Christchurch Hospital ORL surgery database identified patients who underwent upper airway surgery for OSA. Tracheostomy and bimaxillary advancement patients were excluded. Adults with moderate to severe OSA (Desaturation Index (DI) >10 n.h(-1)), who had failed a trial of nasal CPAP, and had pre-operative and post-operative sleep study data were identified. Objective (DI) and Subjective (Epworth Sleepiness Score (ESS)) outcome measures were recorded. The database identified 69 patients who underwent surgery for snoring or OSA; of these, 25 patients formed the study group. Sixteen out of 25 improved (64 per cent) after surgery, seven out of 25 showed no change (28 per cent), two patients (eight per cent) showed deterioration in their DI. Forty-eight per cent of patients had >50 per cent post-operative improvement in DI. Fourteen out of 25 (56 per cent) had a post-operative DI <20 n.h(-1). Seven out of 25 (28 per cent) had a post-operative DI <10 n.h(-1). Upper airway surgery has a role in the management of selected patients with OSA who cannot tolerate nasal CPAP.

The medicalisation of snoring has led to new industries of diagnosis, treatment, and transport regulation. Christopher Bryn Sparks’ research develops a new mapping technique to model internet-searches about snoring to help investigate medicalisation in the digital era.

This research explores the medicalisation of snoring across multiple levels: at the micro-level of individuals in whom the internet-search influences conceptions of snoring, at the meso-level of websites wherein competition for attention interacts through search-engine feedback to amplify medicalisation, and at the macro-level of the internet demonstrating how the shifting conception of snoring over time reflects a dynamic pattern of medicalisation.