Tongue stimulation device reduces sleep apnea in adolescents with Down syndrome (Over 50% improvement)

Medical Xpress / Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary / JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery ^ | Apr. 21, 2022 | Christopher Hartnick, MD, MS et al

[ConservativeMind]

A surgically implanted device that moves the tongue forward during sleep was found to safely and effectively reduce sleep apnea in adolescents with Down syndrome, according to a new study.

Children with Down syndrome are significantly more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea and current treatment options are often ineffective. The implantable pacemaker-like device, called a hypoglossal nerve stimulator, may offer a new treatment option for this medically underserved population

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea occurs when a child's airway is blocked during sleep, causing snoring, difficulty breathing and restless sleep. For any child, it can result in daytime sleepiness, behavioral issues and learning challenges.

However, the condition is particularly prevalent in children with Down syndrome: About 80 percent of children with Down syndrome have obstructive sleep apnea, compared to 5 percent of the general pediatric population. Children with Down syndrome and sleep apnea are more likely to experience aggressive behavior, brain fogging and a loss of nearly 10 points in IQ compared to those without.

The researchers measured participants' apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which is a measurement used to indicate severity of sleep apnea by counting the number of apnea events per hour during a sleep study. In children, an AHI of 0-to-1 is normal and more than 10 events per hour is considered severe.

At one year follow-up, 27 patients (66 percent) responded well to treatment; the AHI of these patients decreased by at least 50 percent. On average, the patients reduced their AHI by 12.9 events per hour following treatment, a drop of more than 51 percent. Following treatment, 30 patients (73.2 percent) had an AHI under 10 events per hour, 14 patients (34.1 percent) had an AHI under 5 events per hour, and three patients (7.3 percent) had an AHI under 2 events per hour.

[ConservativeMind]

This procedure is available today.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Jamestown1630]

I had this problem for a few years when I was in my 40s. Then it went away.

My husband also had it for awhile. He improved his diet, lost weight, and didn’t have it anymore either.

We are adults, and don’t have the issues in the article; but a lot of people suffer from this, probably for all sorts of reasons.

[Bob434]

looked into it- there can be drawbacks- it can paralyze the tongue in some folks, and even cause atrophy of the tongue- not sure what % it happens to though-

[logi_cal869]

Does it come with a big, red wall-mounted button to slap in the middle of the night for additional ‘stimulation’?

That would please me.