The role of masseter muscle EMG during DISE to predict the effectiveness of MAD: preliminary results

[The efficacy of muscle function training combined with occlusal inducer in the treatment of malocclusion in children with OSA]

Objective:This study aims to investigate the clinical effectiveness of muscle function training combined with occlusal inducers in the treatment for children's malocclusion after obstructive sleep apnea（OSA） surgery. Methods:A total of 40 pediatric patients who underwent surgery for OSA at Shanghai Children's Medical Center, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, from January 2020 to December 2021 were involved in this study. They were divided into a treatment group（n=20） and a control group（n=20）. The treatment group received muscle function training combined with occlusal inducers, while the control group received muscle function training alone. Cephalometric measurements of hard tissues were compared between the two groups before and 12 months after surgery. Additionally, the OSA-18 questionnaire, which includes 18 items to assess the life quality of children with OSA, was filled out before surgery, 6 months after surgery, and 12 months after surgery by these patients. Results:①The scores of sleep disorders, physical symptoms, emotional status, daytime sleepiness and energy status and the degree of influence on guardians in the two groups were significantly improved at 12 months after operation（P<0.05）. The scores of sleep disorders, physical symptoms, emotional status and the degree of influence on guardians in the treatment group were better than those in the control group（P<0.05）. ②Cephalometric data at 12 months after operation showed that the upper and lower alveolar seat angle（ANB）, Overbite, upper and lower central incisor angle（U1-L1） and Overjet in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group at 12 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Children with OSA can improve the dentition irregularity by muscle function training combined with occlusal inducer after operation, and the effect is better than that of muscle function training alone.

Influence of Body Posture and Apnea Severity on the Tone and Elasticity of Upper Airway Muscles in Awake Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of body posture and apnea severity on the tone, stiffness, and elasticity of upper airway muscles in awake patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

METHODS

Eighty adult patients with OSAS from the Sleep Laboratory of the Bitlis State Hospital between April and December 2021 were included in the study. The tone, stiffness, and elasticity of the genioglossus and accessory muscles (sternocleidomastoid, masseter) were measured while the patients were awake, sitting upright, and in supine posture. According to polysomnography results and the Apnea-Hypopnea Index, patients were classified as mild, moderate, or severe OSAS.

RESULTS

There were 56 male (70%) and 24 female (30%) patients (age 45.0 ± 11.0 years). Tone of genioglossus, masseter, and sternocleidomastoid muscles were higher in supine than in sitting posture (all P < .05). There was no difference in elasticity scores of the bilateral genioglossus muscle in sitting and supine posture (P > .05). The elasticity scores of the sternocleidomastoid and masseter muscles were higher in sitting (all P < .05). An interaction effect of postural change and apnea severity was observed on stiffness scores of the genioglossus muscle (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

Results showed that the genioglossus muscle and accessory muscles take on the inspiratory load that develops with postural strain, regardless of the severity of apnea, in awake patients with OSAS. For participants measured in this study, accessory muscles supported respiration by increasing their elasticity.

Oral cavity morphology among children at risk of sleep disordered breathing

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate oral cavity morphology in children at risk of sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

METHODS

The study included children 3-17 years of age. The risk of SDB was evaluated using the paediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ); afterwards, children at risk of SDB were enrolled in the study group. A control group was randomly established from patients with negative PSQ results. The oral cavity morphology evaluation included assessment of the oropharynx using Mallampati classification (MC), palatine tonsil size using the Pirquet scale, occlusion and the presence of a high-arched palate and lingual frenulum.

RESULTS

A total of 131 children were evaluated, 65 in the study and 66 in the control group. The mean ages were 9.5 ± 3.0 and 9.4 ± 3.1 years, respectively. The presence of higher scores on the MC, higher scores in the Pirquet scale, a crossbite, a high-arched palate and a short frenulum were significantly more frequent in the study group than the control group.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of oral morphology is an important part of paediatric examination. Enlarged palatine tonsils; higher scores on the MC; and the presence of a crossbite, short lingual frenulum and high-arched palate may suggest abnormal breathing during sleep in children.

Moderate OSAS and turbinate decongestion: surgical efficacy in improving the quality of life and compliance of CPAP using Epworth score and SNOT-20 score

SUMMARY

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is an important procedure in diagnostic pathway of patients affected by moderate OSAS. However, the Italian National Health System does not provide any compatible Diagnosis-related-group (DRG) code codification for DISE, which makes it impossible to obtain regional reimbursement. In order to overcome this problem, DISE is usually associated with other codified surgical procedures. The aim of our study is to assess the association of turbinate decongestion (TD) and DISE in order to combine in a single operating session diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The objective of our work is to assess the role of nasal surgery on symptoms of moderate OSA. Recent studies have confirmed that isolated nasal surgery improves quality of life (QOL), but not the apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI) during polygraph registration. We enrolled 30 patients, aged between 29 and 64 years (mean 50.53 ± 9.20), 26 males and 4 females, with a mean BMI of 26.07 ± 2.81 kg/m², who were affected by moderate OSAS. All patients underwent otolaryngologycal pre-operative evaluation, home respiratory polygraph and subjective evaluation through Sino-Nasal-Outcome Test (SNOT-20) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). During the same surgery session, they underwent DISE and TD. Patients were re-evaluated six months later using the same questionnaires. We observed a significant improvement (p #x003C; 0.05) in both the mean ESS index (6.03 ± 2.75 vs 4.16 ± 4.63) and total SNOT score (22.53 ± 12.16 vs 13.23 ± 10.82). Significant differences (p #x003C; 0.05) were also identified for partial SNOT questions 1-11 (9.1 ± 5.11 vs 6.13 ± 4.12) and 11-20 (13.36 ± 10.20 vs 7.13 ± 9.644). The results of the present study confirm that TD alone can improve sleepiness, QOL and nasal symptoms. Thus, in absence of a National Health System recognition for DISE, the association of this procedure with TD can be useful for diagnostic and therapeutic management of OSAS, improving CPAP compliance and adherence, reducing sleepiness, ameliorating nasal symptoms and therefore QOL.

Difficult-to-treat OSAS: Combined continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement devices (MADs) therapy. A case report

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and is characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or complete upper airway collapse during sleep with consequent oxygen desaturations and cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic impairment. Clinical presentation: The authors report the case of a 66-year-old male presenting "metabolic syndrome" (obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, multi-drug treated arterial hypertension), atopy, mouth breathing due to turbinate hypertrophy, and pathological daytime sleepiness. As patient's compliance to standard continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy was poor, he was treated using low-pressure CPAP combined with a mandibular advancement device (MAD). Conclusion: In selected patients, a treatment combining CPAP and MAD might be a more tolerable alternative to CPAP alone. The improved pharyngeal patency, promoted by mandibular advancement and stretching of the pharyngeal muscles, allows operating the CPAP at lower pressures when the MAD alone is not sufficient to induce a safe sleep profile.