+- Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Public Area (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Public-Area)
+--- Forum: Main Apnea Board Forum (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum)
+--- Thread: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? (/Thread-Pacemaker-for-the-Tongue-to-Replace-CPAP)
Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - gjw - 05-30-2014
Scary article from the New England Journal of Medicine.
Article from NEJM.org on OSA
;-> gjw
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - PaulaO2 - 05-30-2014
Is this the one that makes the tongue twitch? One woman here did the trial for one but the company went out of business mid trial. Then she and the other participants had to decide if they were going to have it removed then or wait to see if anyone bought them or leave it in. I can't remember if she ever reported back what happened.
I don't think it would work for everyone and I think it would annoy the heck out of some people. What they are doing is, essentially, irritating a voluntary muscle and not letting it relax (while the user sleeps) by causing it to continually pull itself forward. By pulling forward, the tongue moves itself and and other tissue out of the airway and helps to keep it clear. It won't completely keep it clear but it helps.
Personally? No way would I have it done. But then I'm not one of those who hates the CPAP nor has any kind of problems with it. I see it as a treatment. I don't have to like it. I don't have to enjoy it. I am, however, rather fond of living.
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - PaytonA - 05-30-2014
(05-30-2014, 03:24 PM)gjw Wrote: Scary article from the New England Journal of Medicine.
Article from NEJM.org on OSA
;-> gjw
I did not find any mention of the tongue in the abstract and I do not foresee atrial pacemakers with overdrive for sleep apnea patients in the near future but, of course I am no MD.
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - gjw - 05-31-2014
Found an extended version of the NEJM article.
Extended NEJM article on OSA treatment
;-> gjw
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - PaulaO2 - 05-31-2014
Still not saying what they are stimulating other than the "upper airway". If it is the entire throat area, then that would be weird.
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - PaytonA - 05-31-2014
I was looking at the wrong article.
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - PaulaO2 - 05-31-2014
Looking at the sketch, and making assumptions, I wonder if instead of constantly stimulating the "upper airway" like the tongue study did, if it instead stimulates the upper airway when it detects lack of breathing? It has that "sensing lead" going into a lung.
If it only stimulates when needed vs all the time, that *might* be a more viable alternative.
Still, I just don't "get" the mindset of someone who would rather have this than wear a CPAP mask at night.
RE: Pacemaker for the Tongue to Replace CPAP? - Airstream - 05-31-2014
The bottom line is the can't make you do anything you don't want to do.