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Analysis of institutional authors

Ballester, EAuthorMontserrat, JmCorresponding Author

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Clinical Trial

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty for snoring: does it meet the expectations?

Publicated to:European Respiratory Journal. 24 (1): 66-70 - 2004-07-01 24(1), DOI: 10.1183/09031936.04.00082903

Authors: Larrosa, F; Hernandez, L; Morello, A; Ballester, E; Quinto, L; Montserrat, J M

Affiliations

Universitat de Barcelona - Author

Abstract

The high prevalence of habitual snoring (35% of the general population) and the increasing demand for an effective treatment have led, in the last decade, to the generalisation of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP). However, acceptable studies on its effectiveness are lacking. The present randomised, placebo-controlled study included 25 nonapnoeic and mild obstructive sleep apnoea snorers to evaluate LAUP effectiveness for snoring. Group I received a one-stage LAUP treatment and group II a placebo (simulated snore surgery followed by an oral placebo). Before each treatment and 3 months after, the variables and procedures assessed were: body weight; sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale); quality of life (SF-36); subjective snoring intensity (0-10 analogue scale); objective snoring intensity (average decibel intensity); snoring index (number of snores per hour); and apnoea/hypopnea index. No differences were observed in body weight, sleepiness, quality of life, subjective and objective intensity, and frequency of snoring, and apnoea/hypopnea index between the groups before and 3 months after treatment. In conclusion, this study provides evidence of the lack of effectiveness of one-stage laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty for snoring in nonapnoeic and mild obstructive sleep apnoea patients, with the result that it does not meet the expectations generated by the procedure.

Keywords

AdultDiagnosisEtiologyFollow-up studiesHumansMaleMetabolismMiddle agedOne-stage laser-assisted uvulopalatoplastyPalate surgeryProbabilityRisk assessmentSeverity of illness indexSleep apnoea syndromeStatistics, nonparametricTreatment outcome

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal European Respiratory Journal due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2004, it was in position 8/33, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Respiratory System.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 15.04, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-21, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 46
  • Scopus: 60
  • Europe PMC: 36
  • OpenCitations: 66

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-21:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 52.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 51 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 12.
  • The number of mentions on Wikipedia: 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Denmark.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (Montserrat Canal, Josep M.).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Montserrat Canal, Josep M..