Institute for Continuing Education

Practice Parameters for Polysomnography and Related procedures

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the current evidence-based indications for in-laboratory polysomnography according to American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) clinical practice guidelines, including sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorders, and other sleep pathologies.
• Differentiate between conditions where polysomnography is routinely indicated, conditionally indicated based on clinical circumstances, or not indicated, with understanding of the strength of evidence supporting each recommendation.
• Explain the appropriate use of home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) as an alternative to in-laboratory polysomnography, including patient selection criteria, technical requirements, limitations, and when in-laboratory PSG remains the gold standard.
• Identify specific clinical scenarios requiring specialized polysomnographic protocols including split-night studies, CPAP/bilevel PAP titration studies, maintenance of wakefulness testing, and polysomnography with extended EEG montages.
• Recognize the role of actigraphy, multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT), maintenance of wakefulness testing (MWT), and other ancillary sleep testing procedures with their appropriate clinical indications and limitations.
• Apply evidence-based criteria for repeat polysomnography, including indications for follow-up studies after initial diagnosis, assessment of treatment efficacy, and re-evaluation when clinical circumstances change.
• Integrate knowledge of practice parameters into clinical decision-making for patient scheduling, study protocol selection, and communication with referring physicians about appropriateness of sleep testing requests, recognizing the sleep technologist's role in supporting evidence-based, high-quality, and cost-effective sleep medicine practice.

Course Information