Tongue Protrusion Force: A Pilot Study

January 24, 2022 updated by: Weill Medical College of Cornell University
From Weill Cornell Medical College Center for Sleep Medicine, the investigators will recruit patients (N = 25) with previously documented moderate to severe OSA. They will receive an all-night in-home sleep study to document the severity of their OSA immediately before starting the training regimen. Scales and questionnaires measuring sleepiness, snoring, fatigue, and insomnia will be administered prior to starting the training and repeated after six weeks of training. Subjects may be removed from the study due to failing to adhere to the training regimen at anytime via remote data monitoring. The principal measure of the efficacy of the treatment will be the change in RDI, the number of abnormal breathing events per hour of sleep.

Study Overview

Status

Withdrawn

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition characterized by temporary diminutions or cessations of breathing caused by repetitive collapse of the upper airway (UA) during sleep (1). OSA is a common disorder associated with abnormalities in pharyngeal anatomy and physiology in which the muscles of the airway, which normally relax during sleep, fail to provide sufficient dilatory force to balance the contractive force from inspiratory activity (2). This force imbalance serves to either partially or completely collapse the UA, thereby preventing sufficient air from reaching the lungs. These pauses in breathing lead to blood oxygen desaturation and induce neurological arousal resulting in sleep disruption and fragmentation. The cycle of airway collapse and arousal can repeat hundreds of times per night (1). According to the National Sleep Foundation, OSA affects 18-22 million Americans, 80% of whom are undiagnosed. OSA is more prevalent among overweight and older individuals and those with reduced muscle tone, skeletal anomalies such as micrognathia or retrognathia, and airways crowded by redundant or enlarged soft tissue structures.

OSA is associated with significant physiological and psychological problems. OSA results in excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, memory impairment, and reduced reaction time, increasing the risk for motor vehicle (3) and workplace (4) accidents. In addition, OSA sufferers face increased cardiovascular risk including hypertension, heart disease, and stroke (5). OSA has even recently been linked to increased cancer incidence (6) and mortality (7), presumably through hypoxia-induced angiogenesis.

On the morning of December 1, 2013, a Metro-North passenger train derailed in the Bronx. The accident killed 4 passengers, injured 61, and caused $9 million worth of damage. Investigators determined human error was to blame: the train engineer admitted that before reaching the curve he had "gone into a daze," allowing the train to travel at three times the posted speed limit (8). A medical examination conducted after the accident diagnosed the train engineer with OSA, which hampered his ability to fully adjust his sleep patterns to the morning shift he had begun working just two weeks prior to the accident (9).

The Harvard Medical School released a report in 2010 entitled, "The Price of Fatigue: The Surprising Economic Costs of Unmanaged Sleep Apnea," in which it estimated the annual economic cost of moderate to severe OSA in the United States to be $65-165B (compared to $60B for drunk driving and $150B for not wearing seatbelts), including $10-40B in OSA-related traffic accidents and $5-20B in OSA-related workplace accidents (10).

Existing treatments for OSA include lifestyle modifications (11) such as weight loss, position restriction, and avoidance of muscle relaxants such as alcohol and benzodiazepine drugs. Oral appliances including mandibular advancement devices and tongue retaining devices have been increasingly employed. OSA is also treated through surgery, including tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngeoplasty (UPPP) to reduce tissue crowding of the UA lumen, genioglossal advancement, and maxillomandibular advancement. The most widespread and generally effective treatment for OSA, however, remains the use of various devices for maintaining positive airway pressure (PAP) such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), BiLevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), and Autotitrating (AutoPAP) devices.

CPAP and related treatments are both costly and cumbersome. 40-60% of patients prescribed CPAP fail to adhere to the treatment (12; 13; 14). Patients cite comfort and lifestyle factors (sensation of claustrophobia, dry mouth, ill-fitting mask, and lack of portability of the system precluding use during travel) as reasons for abandoning treatment (15; 16). Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH), with accompanying nocturia, has also been associated with noncompliance with CPAP among older men (17). Poor compliance with CPAP is prompting the search for alternative forms of treatment for OSA.

The Genioglossus (GG), which makes up most of the body of the tongue, is the major muscle responsible for protruding the tongue and is the major UA dilator that opposes collapsing force in the pharynx upon inspiration. Reduced UA dilator force in sleep is posited to contribute to the collapse of the pharynx in OSA (Schwartz 2001). A number of controlled studies have demonstrated that strengthening the GG can result in clinically significant reductions of OSA severity.

In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of OSA patients (18), a group that performed oropharyngeal exercises for 30 minutes a day for three months reduced the average apnea hypopnea index (AHI, the number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep) by almost 35% (22.4 to 14.7, P < 0.05). The exercises consisted of isometric and isotonic exercises involving the tongue. Another RCT (19) designed to increase UA dilator muscle strength demonstrated that playing the didgeridoo (an aboriginal wind instrument) six times per week for an average of 25 minutes per day over four months decreased average AHI by almost 50% (22.3 to 11.6, P < 0.01). Electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve (which innervates the GG) also promotes UA patency during sleep. Hypoglossal stimulation reduced UA resistance in both healthy persons and subjects with OSA and reduced AHI in OSA subjects by over 50% (20).

II. Aims

The investigators assert that training the GG muscle while awake will serve to dilate the pharyngeal pathway - restriction of which results in obstructive apnea - during sleep. If confirmed, the investigators will have developed an effective behavioral treatment for OSA. The investigators anticipate it being an attractive alternative for OSA patients who are unable to acclimate to CPAP or adhere to its use for comfort or lifestyle reasons.

This IRB approved clinical study is designed to determine both an effective training regimen to increase GG muscle strength as well as obtain preliminary data on the effect of tongue protrusive force training (TPFT) on OSA. In this study, the investigators will use subjects with moderate to severe OSA. OSA severity will be assessed with a sleep study conducted prior to beginning the training regimen. After six weeks of daily training, OSA severity will be measured again with a follow-up sleep study.

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Weill Cornell Medical College Center for Sleep

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

21 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age: 21 to 70
  2. At home confirmation of moderate to severe OSA (AHI 15-60)
  3. BMI less than or equal to 35
  4. Not currently on a weight loss plan and no intention of beginning a weight loss regimen during the duration of the study
  5. If not currently treated for OSA (AHI 15-20), not planning on starting treatment for OSA during the duration of the study
  6. Willing to have a diagnostic sleep study before the training
  7. Willing to have a diagnostic sleep study after the training
  8. Willing to perform tongue training exercises twice daily for 6 weeks
  9. Willing to keep a sleep diary

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Dental problems, e.g., less than a full complement of front teeth, loose front teeth, brittle teeth, by history
  2. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder by history
  3. Jaw, neck, or facial muscle pain or discomfort by history
  4. Consumes more than one alcoholic beverage per day and unwilling to reduce alcohol consumption to no more than one alcoholic beverage per day (muscle relaxant)
  5. On benzodiazepine medication (or specific muscle relaxant)
  6. Sleeps less than 5 hours per night on average (sleep deprivation can weaken UA)
  7. Pregnant
  8. Has had an upper airway surgical procedure for sleep apnea below the level of the nasopharynx
  9. Non-English speaker or illiterate

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: NA
  • Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Tongue Trainer

The strength of participants tongue will be measured and participants will be shown how to perform tongue training exercises using a special device. Participants will be given instructions on how to perform a workout for the tongue. Each day once in the morning (am) and once in the afternoon/evening (pm), participants will train with the device and have a "tongue workout" that lasts about 10 minutes.

Therefore, participants will work out about 20 minutes a day for 6 weeks.
Device: Tongue Trainer

The strength of participants tongue will be measured and participants will be shown how to perform tongue training exercises using a special device. Participants will be given instructions on how to perform a workout for the tongue. Each day once in the morning (am) and once in the afternoon/evening (pm), participants will train with the device and have a "tongue workout" that lasts about 10 minutes.

Therefore, participants will work out about 20 minutes a day for 6 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
RDI
Time Frame: Six weeks
RDI (the sum of apneas, hypopneas, and milder, more subtle sleep disruptions known as respiratory effort related arousals, or RERAs, that can still lead to sleep fragmentation).
Six weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
TPFmax
Time Frame: Six Weeks
The investigators will be monitoring the tongue protrusion force max each day for six weeks to see what changes, if any occur.
Six Weeks
AHI
Time Frame: Six Weeks
The investigators will measure AHI during the pre-screen and post screen to see what changes, if any, occur due to the six weeks of tongue training.
Six Weeks
dur50%
Time Frame: Six weeks
To determine if regular exercise of the GG muscle increases the maximum tongue protrusive force (TPFmax) and increases the duration over which the tongue is capable of exerting sub-maximal (threshold of 50% of baseline TPFmax) protrusive force (dur50%).
Six weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Collaborators

Cornell University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

December 1, 2021

Study Completion (Anticipated)

December 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 19, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

May 24, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 8, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 24, 2022

Last Verified

January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 1602017027

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There is no plan to make IPD available.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Clinical Trials on Tongue Trainer

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Bahamas

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

3
Subscribe