Maximum isometric tongue force in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Otorhinolaryngology

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 9-38% of the population, characterized by upper airway collapse, often at the tongue base.
• Implantable devices aim to prevent airway collapse, but data on forces in OSA patients versus healthy individuals are scarce.
• Understanding tongue forces is crucial for developing effective OSA treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare maximum isometric tongue forces between healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with OSA.
• To determine if differences in tongue strength could explain airway collapse in OSA.

Main Methods:

• A matched-pair study design was employed, including 20 healthy participants and 20 OSA patients.
• A novel, self-designed tongue-clamping device was utilized to measure maximum isometric tongue forces.
• Forces were measured in the anterior/posterior direction.

Main Results:

• The study found no statistically significant difference in maximum isometric tongue forces between healthy individuals (10.7 ± 5.2N) and OSA patients (14.4 ± 6.3N).
• Individual variations in tongue force were observed in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence does not support a difference in maximum isometric tongue force between healthy individuals and OSA patients.
• Tongue force magnitude may not be a primary consideration for developing tongue management devices for OSA.
• Further research may explore other biomechanical factors contributing to OSA.