Oropharyngeal Exercises to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Obstructive Sleep Apnea focused on measuring Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Oropharyngeal Exercises
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Patients with OSA (defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥10/hr) in whom >50% of the respiratory events are obstructive in nature Patients who are unwilling to use CPAP or have been unable to tolerate CPAP after at least a 2-week trial Patients who are also not using an equipment-based treatment modality (e.g. PAP therapy, a dental appliance, or hypoglossal nerve stimulation) or surgery to manage their OSA. Exclusion Criteria: Planned airway surgery, use of CPAP, a dental appliance, or other equipment-based treatment modality to manage OSA during the course of the study Central respiratory events account for ≥50% of the overall apnea-hypopnea index Reduced cognition (MoCA<18) Any significant neurological condition that could impact oropharyngeal activity Use of medications that may impact tone of the upper airway (e.g. hypnotics, opiates) ≥3 nights per week during the 4 weeks prior to randomization Use of a medical device that would interfere with the use of the home sleep apnea test Plans to move to another city during the study that would impact compliance.
Sites / Locations
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Active Comparator
Sham Comparator
Supervised Oropharyngeal Exercises
Unsupervised Oropharyngeal Exercises
Supervised Sham Exercises
The participant will perform the oropharyngeal exercises that strengthen the tongue and pharyngeal muscles. The protocol will be delivered via a tablet-based app. The speech language pathologist will call or conduct videoconference visits with participants 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks after the baseline assessment to provide re-training (if needed) and to troubleshoot technical issues related to the use of the app.
The participant will perform the oropharyngeal exercises that strengthen the tongue and pharyngeal muscles. The protocol will be delivered via a tablet-based app. After the initial training there will be no further scheduled interactions with the study staff except during the follow-up telephone calls and study visits.
The participant will perform sham control exercises that have no impact on oropharyngeal (e.g., base of the tongue) muscle strength. The speech language pathologist will call or conduct videoconference visits with participants 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks after the baseline assessment to provide re-training (if needed) and to troubleshoot technical issues related to the use of the app.