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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04876482

Myofunctional Training for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients After Transoral Robotic Surgery

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) is a kind of sleep disorder. The symptoms are intermittent, partial or complete upper airway collapse, seriously impacting oxygen saturation and oxidative stress. Some patients choose to do upper airway surgeries, but the success rate is only 60-70%. The symptoms might relapse because of aging and gaining weights. The purpose of our study is to compare the effect of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and oropharyngeal rehabilitation (OPR) on patients after TORS. Methods: Participants above 20 years old who are newly diagnosed with mild to severe OSA (Apnea-hypopnea Index >5/h), and the physician will explain the treatment programs to every subject in clinic. Expected results: The hypothesis of this study is the success rate of surgery will be enhance by increasing tongue and jaw-opening muscle strength after OPR. The biomarkers of cardiovascular disease may decrease and both the collapse of upper airway and sleep quality may be improved after TORS and OPR.

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Key information

Age range

20 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

National Cheng Kung University Hospital

Tainan, Please Select, 412, Taiwan

About this study

The participants above 20 years old who are newly diagnosed with mild to severe OSA (Apnea-hypopnea Index >5/h), and the physician will explain the treatment programs to every subject. By their willingness to choose the therapeutic method, the participants who select the surgery interventions will be assign to TORS or TORS+OPR group. The matched controls as well as age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched OSA participants will be selected from the patients who are waiting for oral appliance, losing weight and using continuous positive airway pressure. Before surgery, 6 week and 18 week after surgery, the investiagters will compare the polysomnography data, questionnaires of sleep quality, drug-induced sleep endoscopy and computed tomography as primary outcomes. The investigators will also compare the tongue and jaw-opening muscle strength and biomarkers of oxidative stress, anti-oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases 9 as secondary outcomes. The OPR would begin at 6 week after surgery, and participants will undergo three months of the home-based oropharyngeal myofunctional therapeutic training. During the training intervention period, participants will be interviewed one time per week for adjusting the treatment intensity.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Clinical diagnosis of mild to severe OSA in the past year
  • Age between 20-65 years old.

Exclusion criteria

  • A history of malignancy or infection of the head and neck region and laryngeal trauma
  • Craniofacial malformation
  • Stroke
  • Neuromuscular disease
  • Heart failure
  • Coronary artery disease.

Treatment and study plan

Transoral Robotic Surgery

Procedure

transoral robotic surgery (TORS) which remove the extra soft tissue of the base of the tongue and soft palate in this study

Oral Appliance

Device

It is a kind of treatment for the participants who refuse surgeries and choose to use other kinds of conservative treatment. The conservative treatments included oral appliance, losing weights and using continuous positive airway pressure. The oral appliance would be wore only at night and it would press the soft palate and protrude the jaw.

using continuous positive airway pressure

Device

The participants only used CPAP at night. The device composed of a main machine, pipe and mask. The participants would instruct to wore the mask. The main machine would give positive airway pressure to open the airway and avoid collapsing.

Other names: CPAP

losing weights

Behavioral

The participants would ask to lose weight by changing their diets and exercising, without using drugs and surgeries.

oropharyngeal rehabilitation

Combination Product

OPR included exercise for soft palate, tongue and oropharynx. There are 13 movements in OPR. The movements would be teach by a physical therapist.

Other names: OPR

Primary outcomes

  1. Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI)

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    Polysomnography included electroencephalographic, electro-oculographic, thoracic and abdominal respiratory inductance plethysmography and body position sensor to confirm the sleeping stage in one-night observation. Above measurements will be aggregated to arrive AHI.

    Unabbreviated scale title:Apnea and Hypopnea index The minimum value:0 The maximum values: none Higher scores mean a worse outcome.

  2. Computer Tomography (CT)_Volume

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    All patients underwent CT in a supine position. Each patient was instructed to maintain his/her tongue in the resting position, without swallowing, during CT. Volume from hard palate to the base of epiglottis was measured.

  3. Computer Tomography (CT)_minimal Area

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    All patients underwent CT in a supine position. Each patient was instructed to maintain his/her tongue in the resting position, without swallowing, during CT. Cross section area on the tip of epiglottis was measured.

  4. Computer Tomography (CT)_AP Distance

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    All patients underwent CT in a supine position. Each patient was instructed to maintain his/her tongue in the resting position, without swallowing, during CT. Anterior to posterior distance on the tip of epiglottis was measured.

  5. Computer Tomography (CT)_Lateral Distance

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    All patients underwent CT in a supine position. Each patient was instructed to maintain his/her tongue in the resting position, without swallowing, during CT. Lateral distance on the tip of epiglottis was measured.

  6. Drug-induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE)

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    All patients underwent DISE in a supine position. The possible outcomes were unilevel collapse at the velum, oropharynx, tongue base, or epiglottis and multilevel collapse at any of these locations. The velum is the part of the upper airway at the level of the soft palate and uvula; the oropharynx is the pharyngeal portion at the level of the tonsils, above the tongue base. The tongue base was considered the retroglossal area; epiglottis was considered the pharyngeal region below the tongue base. The degree of obstruciton was diagnosed by an ear nose throat surgeon. The degree of obstruction ranged from 0 to 2. 0: no obstruction (<50%); 1: partial obstruction (50-75%); 2: complete obstruction (>75%).

  7. Jaw Opening Muscle Strength

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    Muscle strength of jaw was measured with a 'handheld' dynamometer (MicroFET○R2, Hoggan Scientific, USA) mounted on an adapted ophthalmic examination frame, to avoid alterations in chin and head position and to ensure consistent compression.

  8. Tongue Protrusion Muscle Strength

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    The muscle strength of the tongue was evaluated by the IOPI system, model 2.2 (Northwest, Co., LLC, Carnation, WA, USA).

  9. Tongue Elevation Muscle Strength

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    The muscle strength of the tongue was evaluated by the IOPI system, model 2.2 (Northwest, Co., LLC, Carnation, WA, USA).

  10. Tongue Depression Muscle Strength

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    The muscle strength of the tongue was evaluated by the IOPI system, model 2.2 (Northwest, Co., LLC, Carnation, WA, USA).

  11. Tongue Lateralization Muscle Strength

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    The muscle strength of the tongue was evaluated by the IOPI system, model 2.2 (Northwest, Co., LLC, Carnation, WA, USA).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Efficacy of Oropharyngeal Myofunctional Therapeutic Training for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients After Transoral Robotic Surgery

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
May 6, 2021
Registry last updated
Oct 21, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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