This study was done to describe the efficacy of vibrotactile neck-based treatment in patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea with different degrees of obstructive sleep apnea severity who were followed for 6 months.
We observed a significant difference between the mean baseline obstructive apnea-hypopnea index and during positional therapy. Moreover, 87/162 patients showed a reduced baseline OAHI of at least 50% and 38/162 achieved complete disease control. A subgroup analysis, at least 50% reduction from baseline OAHI was observed in 56.8% of patients with mild, 55% with moderate, and 47.4% with severe OAHI, whereas complete control of disease was achieved in 50% of patients with mild, 22.5% with moderate, and 7.9% with severe OAHI. At a 6-month follow-up, only 35/84 patients were regularly using the device, with a mean of 5.9 ± 1.2 days per week.
This study concluded that positional therapy can be an efficient first-line treatment option for mild positional obstructive sleep apnea and in selected cases of the moderate disease. Long-term compliance is limited because of complications and low satisfaction in some patients.
Reference: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.8664
