Why your face could hold the key to a common sleep disorder
In an Australian first, researchers have developed a test to discover why people suffer from sleep apnea.
Using 3D cameras, experts at UWA are measuring the shape of people’s faces to find out how it affects their nightly shut eye.
They hope to determine what shape of face is most likely to result in the condition, which affects 13 per cent of men and 6 per cent of women.
The camera measures complex angles of the face and generates 15 thousand images.
“We think that by putting all those measurements into an algarithm, we can predict the risk of an individual having sleep apnea,”
“At the moment, being tested for sleep apnoea is a lengthy process. It often involves being hooked up to machines and spending the night at a sleep lab. But this test, takes just one second."
The groundbreaking research is being presented as part of UWA Research Week.
The test could be available late next year.
News break - September 8
