Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Peter R. E-mail: peter. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence 4. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation HNS decreases obstructive sleep apnoea OSA severity via genioglossus muscle activation and decreased upper airway collapsibility.
This prospective, open-label, non-randomised, single-arm treatment study was conducted at eight centres in three countries Australia, France and the UK. Primary outcomes were incidence of device-related serious adverse events and change in the apnoeaβhypopnoea index AHI. Additional outcomes included measures of sleepiness, quality of life, snoring and device use.
This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials. No device-related serious adverse events occurred during the 6-month post-implantation period. The results are comparable with previously published HNS systems despite minimal implanted components and a simple stimulation algorithm. A new method of hypoglossal nerve stimulation to treat sleep apnoea does so bilaterally via an implanted neurostimulator activated externally. Its simplicity and relative non-invasiveness have not compromised its effectiveness relative to older methods.
Obstructive sleep apnoea OSA is a disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of decreased hypopnoea or absent apnoea inspiratory airflow during sleep. The primary mechanism underlying these events is a sleep-related decrease in pharyngeal muscle activity, which causes narrowing and collapse of the airway in predisposed individuals.
The resultant intermittent episodes of arterial oxygen desaturation and repeated disruption of sleep cause excessive daytime sleepiness and other medical comorbidities such as hypertension, depression and stroke [ 1 , 2 ]. PAP involves the delivery of air under pressure to the pharynx via a well-fitting mask. This pressure acts as a pneumatic splint, holding the airway open and preventing its collapse. Although a highly efficacious treatment, patients are often uncomfortable using the device and adherence to therapy remains problematic [ 3 , 4 ].
