Myofunctional therapy for OSA: a meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder.
• Myofunctional therapy (MT) is an emerging treatment for OSA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy of MT in treating OSA.
• To evaluate the impact of MT on key OSA metrics: apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSAT), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of publications up to June 18, 2021.
• Meta-analysis of data from 15 studies involving 237 patients.
• Analysis of changes in AHI, LSAT, and ESS scores before and after MT.

Main Results:

• MT significantly reduced mean AHI scores from 28.0/h to 18.6/h (SMD -1.34, P < 0.00001).
• LSAT improved from 83.18% to 85.13% (SMD 0.44, P < 0.007).
• Sleepiness, measured by ESS, decreased from 12.71 to 8.78 (SMD -1.0, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• Myofunctional therapy is an effective treatment for improving OSA.
• MT leads to significant improvements in respiratory events, oxygenation, and daytime sleepiness in OSA patients.