Cephalometric, muscular and swallowing changes in patients with OSAS

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Neurology
• Sleep Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS) is associated with craniofacial and neuromuscular changes.
• The interplay between these factors and OSAS severity is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify hyoid, muscular, and swallowing alterations in OSAS patients.
• To correlate these changes with OSAS severity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 72 adults (12 controls, 60 OSAS patients).
• Evaluations included otorhinolaryngology, neurology, polysomnography, cephalometric analysis, myofunctional assessment, and videofluoroscopy.
• A hybrid effect model analyzed swallowing parameters, considering age, BMI, and cephalometric measures.

Main Results:

• OSAS patients had lower hyoid position and narrower posterior airway compared to controls, correlating with OSAS severity.
• OSAS patients showed significantly lower myofunctional scores and impaired velum/hyoid contraction times.
• Premature pharyngeal leakage was more frequent in OSAS groups; laryngeal penetration occurred rarely.

Conclusions:

• Hyoid bone position is associated with OSAS severity.
• Muscular patterns and swallowing are impaired in OSAS patients, regardless of severity or facial profile.
• OSAS patients have a predisposition to inferior hyoid positioning, myofunctional, and swallowing disorders.