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Positional Therapy for Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What Is New?

  • Sleep and Otolaryngology (H Gouveris, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Sleep Medicine Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of review

The objective of the present review is to give an update on newly available literature concerning positional therapy as a treatment in positional dependent OSA patients.

Methods

A systematic review

Recent Findings

Five prospective cohort studies, six randomized controlled trials and one retrospective study were included in this review. All studies published on new-generation devices for positional therapy (PT) have shown a significant reduction in the AHI and percentage of supine sleeping time in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The effectiveness of sleep position trainer (SPT) compared to OAT was similar and the results of additional treatment with PT in patients with residual positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) after upper airway surgery seemed to be effective. No evidence was found that confirms a behavioural or training effect of PT. Overall, the effectiveness and compliance are high during short-time follow-up as well as in long-term studies.

Summary

PT with new-generation devices have shown to be effective in reducing total percentage of supine sleep time and total AHI. Additional treatment with PT in patients with residual POSA after upper airway surgery shows promising results and also combination therapy of SPT + MAD leads to a higher therapeutic efficacy when compared to one of the treatment modalities alone. Short-term and long-term compliance in SPT users is high, but due to high drop out during long-term follow-up, proper selection of PP to identify predictors of non-responders is important.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •Of importance •• Of major mportance

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck surgery, OLVG West, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061 AE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P.E. Vonk, M.J.L. Ravesloot & N. de Vries

  2. Department of Oral Kinesiology, ACTA, MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    N. de Vries

  3. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium

    N. de Vries

Authors
  1. P.E. Vonk
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  2. M.J.L. Ravesloot
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  3. N. de Vries
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Correspondence to P.E. Vonk.

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Conflict of Interest

Patty E. Vonk and Madeline J.L. Ravesloot each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Nicolaas de Vries reports personal fees from Philips and MSD.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sleep and Otolaryngology

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Vonk, P., Ravesloot, M. & de Vries, N. Positional Therapy for Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What Is New?. Curr Sleep Medicine Rep 3, 113–121 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-017-0081-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-017-0081-4

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