Abstract
BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder with a prevalence of 9–38%. The underlying pathology in OSA is a collapse of the upper airway. Especially in more severely affected patients, this collapse is often located at the level of the tongue base. Therefore, various implantable systems (anchors and ligament techniques) were developed to prevent or overcome this collapse. These systems are exposed to various forces. Different models have been developed to measure these forces and data comparing forces in healthy individuals with OSA patients are rare.PurposePurpose of the study was to evaluate possible differences in tongue forces between healthy individuals and patients with OSA.MethodTo evaluate maximum isometric tongue forces, we conducted a matched pair design study including 20 healthy individuals and 20 patients suffering from OSA. Maximum isometric tongue forces were measured in an anterior/posterior direction with the help of self-designed new device that clamps the tongue.ResultsWe could show that the maximum isometric force does not differ significantly in healthy individuals (10.7 ± 5.2N) from patients with OSA (14.4 ± 6.3N).ConclusionCurrently there are no indications that maximum isometric tongue force does differ in healthy individuals and patients with OSA. Higher, as well as lower, tongue forces in patients with OSA seem not to differ from healthy subjects and therefore may not be needed to consider, in the development of tongue management devices, for OSA patients.
Highlights
The human tongue has to manage a couple of tasks necessary to live
Most of the study groups who measured tongue strength have done this in a protruding way or the pressure was applied in a coronary direction [1, 12, 14, 34]
N number, y years, m male, f female, BMI body mass index, AHI apnea/hypopnea index study describes differences in maximum isometric forces in healthy patients compared to patients with Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in an isolated anterior–posterior direction
Summary
The human tongue has to manage a couple of tasks necessary to live. This includes mastication, speech and swallowing. That there is a gender dependency of maximum tongue strength in favor of men [8, 52] They used the “Iowa Oral Performance Instrument” (IOPI). Different models have been developed to measure these forces and data comparing forces in healthy individuals with OSA patients are rare. Purpose Purpose of the study was to evaluate possible differences in tongue forces between healthy individuals and patients with OSA. Method To evaluate maximum isometric tongue forces, we conducted a matched pair design study including 20 healthy individuals and 20 patients suffering from OSA. Results We could show that the maximum isometric force does not differ significantly in healthy individuals (10.7 ± 5.2N) from patients with OSA (14.4 ± 6.3N). Conclusion Currently there are no indications that maximum isometric tongue force does differ in healthy individuals and patients with OSA. As well as lower, tongue forces in patients with OSA seem not to differ from healthy subjects and may not be needed to consider, in the development of tongue management devices, for OSA patients
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Schedule a callMore From: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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