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Kinesthetic stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: An "on-off" proof of concept trial

Alfredo I Hernández1,2, Diego Pérez3,4, Delphine Feuerstein5

  • 1INSERM, U1099, Rennes, F-35000, France. alfredo.hernandez@inserm.fr.

Scientific Reports
|February 17, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Kinesthetic stimulation may help treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study found reduced apnea and hypopnea durations in many patients receiving this novel therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder characterized by upper airway collapse during sleep due to reduced muscle tone.
  • Current treatments for OSA, such as CPAP, can have compliance issues.
  • Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to manage OSA effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of triggered kinesthetic stimulation as a potential treatment for severe OSA.
  • To assess the impact of kinesthetic stimulation on the duration of apneas and hypopneas in OSA patients.

Main Methods:

  • A proof-of-concept, open-label, multicenter prospective study involving 24 patients with severe OSA.
  • Intermittent kinesthetic stimulation was applied during a single overnight sleep evaluation in 30-minute on/off periods.
  • Apnea and hypopnea durations were compared between stimulation-on and stimulation-off phases.

Main Results:

  • Statistically significant reductions in apnea duration were observed in 56% of patients during stimulation-on periods.
  • Significant decreases in hypopnea duration were noted in 46% of patients during stimulation-on periods.
  • Overall, 75% of patients experienced an improvement in apnea or hypopnea durations, with mean reductions of 4.86s for apneas and 6.00s for hypopneas.

Conclusions:

  • Triggered kinesthetic stimulation shows promise as a novel, non-invasive therapy for obstructive sleep apnea.
  • This study provides preliminary evidence supporting further investigation of kinesthetic stimulation in a controlled clinical trial.
  • Kinesthetic stimulation may offer a new therapeutic avenue for OSA patients, potentially improving sleep quality and reducing respiratory event durations.

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