Effect of non-invasive neuroelectric stimulation of oral cavity for obstructive sleep apnoea: A systematic review.

Objectives: With an estimated disease burden of one billion adults aged 30-69, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) offers considerable challenges in terms of both identification and management Neuroelectric stimulation offers benefit with studies showing improvement in both the respiratory disturbance index and apnoea-hypopnoea index. This systematic review aims to examine the effects of non-invasive neuroelectric stimulation of the oral cavity utilized in the treatment of OSA.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, EBSCO Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source and Wiley Cochrane Library was utilized to identify articles. A total of 4 articles investigating 154 participants were included in the final synthesis. Data was extracted to by two authors (MOA and HI) working independently of each other. Any discrepancies that arose were discussed and resolved.

Results: Our results demonstrated that non-invasive neurostimulation serves as an avenue for management that can allow for improvements in functionality as well as oxygen saturation amongst patients suffering from mild to moderate OSA.

Conclusion: Due to the dearth of research, it is imperative that further studies are done to investigate the efficacy of neuromuscular stimulation, as these findings cannot be generalized across different populations.