Rehabilitación de músculos orofaríngeos con ejercicios y electroterapia para el síndrome de apnea-hipoapnea obstructiva del sueño / Rehabilitation of oropharyngeal muscles with muscle reeducation and electrostimulation in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Introducción. El síndrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño (SAOS) tiene repercusiones importantes en la morbimortalidad de los pacientes. Los tratamientos alternos a la presión positiva continua en la vía aérea (CPAP) han resultado poco eficaces, poco seguros o de alta complejidad. Objetivo. Describir los efectos de un programa ambulatorio de reeducación de la musculatura orofacial y extralaríngea y aplicación de electroestimulación (TENS) aplicado a pacientes con SAOS en un hospital universitario de nivel III. Diseño. Estudio de serie de casos incidentes, prospectivo, con pacientes seleccionados consecutivamente. Material y métodos. Diecisiete pacientes con SAOS leve, moderado o severo que asistieron a 24 sesiones (3 semanales) de 30 minutos, de ejercicios orofaríngeos y electroestimulación. Los pacientes fueron evaluados al inicio y al final de la intervención mediante antropometría, polisomnografía, escala de somnolencia de Epworth, SAQLI y tolerancia al CPAP. La tolerancia al CPAP fue evaluada por una escala visual calificada de 1 a 10 (10 correspondía a tolerancia máxima). Las variables cualitativas se describieron en frecuencias y las variables cuantitativas en promedios o medianas dependiendo del tipo de distribución. Resultados. El índice de apnea-hipoapnea mejoró de 22 a 13 por hora, el SAQLI mejoró de 4,65 a 5,33 y Epworth pasó de 7 a 5 después de la intervención. La tolerancia al CPAP mejoró de 3 a 9. Las sesiones fueron bien toleradas, no se presentaron eventos adversos importantes. Cuatro pacientes presentaron dolor muscular facial. Conclusiones. Los ejercicios de reeducación con electroterapia son fáciles, reproducibles, seguros y potencialmente beneficiosos para el SAOS, con mínimos efectos secundarios (AU)

Introduction. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Alternative interventions to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) lack efficacy and safety or are highly complex. Objective. To describe the effects of an outpatient program of orofacial and extralaryngeal muscle re-education combined with electro-stimulation (TENS) of the same muscle groups in patients with OSA attending a tertiary level university hospital. Design. Prospective, incident case series, with consecutively selected patients. Methods. Participants consisted of 17 patients with mild, moderate or severe OSA who attended 24 thirty-minute sessions (three per week) of oropharyngeal exercises and electro-stimulation. The patients were evaluated at the beginning and end of the intervention by anthropometry, polysomnography, the Epworth sleepiness scale, and the Calgary Sleep Apnea Quality of Life (SAQLI) index. CPAP tolerance was evaluated by a visual scale rated from 1 to 10 (10 indicating maximum tolerance). Qualitative variables were described by frequencies, and quantitative variables by means and medians, depending on the type of distribution. Results. After the intervention, the apnea - hypopnea index improved from 22 to 13 per hour, the SAQLI index improved from 4.65 to 5.33, and the Epworth scale from 7 to 5. CPAP tolerance increased from 3 to 9. The sessions were well tolerated with no adverse events of importance. Four patients reported facial muscular pain. Conclusions. Electrotherapy plus active exercises of the oropharyngeal muscles are easy, feasible, safe, and potentially beneficial for OSA, with minimal side effects (AU)

Electrophysiological change in the tensor veli palatini muscle after radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION: Electromyography of the tensor veli palatine (TVP) was abnormal and showed mainly myogenic impairment in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with secretory otitis media (SOM) after radiotherapy. The diseased ears showed impairment in opening functions of the eustachian tubes (ETs). OBJECTIVES: To characterize electrophysiology of the TVP muscle using electromyography (EMG) in patients with SOM after radiotherapy of NPC. METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers and 20 patients with NPC and SOM after radiotherapy were chosen for assessment of EMG of the TVP during swallowing. RESULTS: The measurements of average duration and amplitude of action potential, swallowing contraction duration, and peak voltage in NPC patients with both SOM (n = 25) and healthy ears (n = 6) were significantly lower than those of ears (n = 38) in healthy controls (p < 0.01). In patients with NPC, the average action potential duration and swallowing contraction duration in ears with SOM were lower than those of subjects with healthy ears (p < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was found in average amplitude of action potential and peak voltage between them.