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The effects of threshold inspiratory muscle training in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized experimental study

  • Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article
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Abstract

Objectives

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (an obstructed airway and intermittent hypoxia) negatively affect their respiratory muscles. We evaluated the effects of a 12-week threshold inspiratory muscle training (TIMT) program on OSA severity, daytime sleepiness, and pulmonary function in newly diagnosed OSA.

Methods

Sixteen patients with moderate-to-severe OSA were randomly assigned to a TIMT group and 6 to a control group. The home-based TIMT program was 30–45 min/day, 5 days/week, for 12 weeks using a TIMT training device. Their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and forced vital capacity (FVC) scores were evaluated pre- and post-treatment. Polysomnographic (PSG) analysis showed that 9 TIMT-group patients had positively responded (TIMT-responder group: post-treatment AHI < pre-treatment) and that 7 had not (TIMT non-responder group: post-treatment AHI > pre-treatment).

Results

Post-treatment AHI and ESS scores were significantly (both P < 0.05) lower 6% and 20.2%, respectively. A baseline AHI ≤ 29.0/h predicted TIMT-responder group patients (sensitivity 77.8%; specificity 85.7%). FVC was also significantly (P < 0.05) higher 7.2%. Baseline AHI and FEV6.0 were significant predictors of successful TIMT-responder group intervention. OSA severity and daytime sleepiness were also significantly attenuated.

Conclusions

Home-based TIMT training is simple, efficacious, and cost-effective.

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Abbreviations

AE:

Aerobic exercise

AHI:

Apnea-hypopnea index

AHI-NREM:

Apnea-hypopnea index during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep

AHI-REM:

Apnea-hypopnea index during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

ATS:

American Thoracic Society

BMI:

Body mass index

EEG:

Electroencephalography

ESS:

Epworth sleepiness scale

FEV1.0 :

Forced expiratory volume in 1 s

FEV6.0 :

Forced expiratory volume in 6 s

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

IMT:

Inspiratory muscle training

NREM:

Non-rapid eye movement

OSA:

Obstructive sleep apnea

PFT:

Pulmonary function test

PSG:

Polysomnography

PSQI:

Pittsburgh sleep quality index

PT:

Physical therapist

REM:

Rapid eye movement

RM:

Repetition maximum

ROC:

Receiver operating characteristic

RPE:

Rating of perceived exertion

TIMT:

Threshold inspiratory muscle training program

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Yu-Wen Chen, Grace Chen, and the sleep medicine center staff members at National Cheng Kung University Hospital and Tainan Hospital who participated in the study.

Funding

This study was funded by Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Management, under contract SZPT10403008, and by the Gary & Amy Foundation, and by National Cheng-Kung University Hospital (grant number NCKUH-10802018).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ching-Hsia Hung and Cheng-Yu Lin contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Daxue Rd., East Dist., Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan

    Huei-Chen Lin & Ching-Hsia Hung

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Management, No.452, Huanqiu Rd. Luzhu Dist., Kaohsiung City, 82144, Taiwan

    Huei-Chen Lin

  3. School of Respiratory Therapy, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan

    Ling-Ling Chiang

  4. Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Daxue Rd., East Dist., Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan

    Jun-Hui Ong, Kun-ling Tsai & Ching-Hsia Hung

  5. Department of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No.138, Shengli Rd., North Dist., Tainan City, 70403, Taiwan

    Cheng-Yu Lin

  6. Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No.138, Shengli Rd., North Dist., Tainan City, 70403, Taiwan

    Cheng-Yu Lin

  7. Department of Otolaryngology, Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, No.125, Zhongshan Rd., West Central Dist., Tainan City, 70043, Taiwan

    Cheng-Yu Lin

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  1. Huei-Chen Lin
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Correspondence to Cheng-Yu Lin.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were approved by the Institutional Review Board of National Cheng Kung University (IRB No. A-ER-103-168).

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Lin, HC., Chiang, LL., Ong, JH. et al. The effects of threshold inspiratory muscle training in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized experimental study. Sleep Breath 24, 201–209 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-019-01862-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-019-01862-y

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