University of Iowa researchers in engineering, otolaryngology, and neurology are working to improve treatment planning for those struggling with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common cause of snoring.

The sleep disorder in which breathing stops because the throat muscles relax and block the airway is estimated to affect nearly a billion people worldwide and 30 million in the United States, according to data from the National Council on Aging. Left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea could increase risk of arrhythmia, stroke, diabetes, and dementia.

As many as 70% of patients are intolerant to the preferred treatment, continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. A new surgical procedure called hypoglossal nerve stimulation was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2014, but the screening for airway collapse needed to determine which OSA patients can benefit from the surgery is lacking, according to UI researchers.

Sajan Goud Lingala, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and radiology, is the principal investigator on a new study to improve the screening process for hypoglossal nerve stimulation. The research is being backed by a new National Institute of Health R01 grant from the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, which is expected to reach $2 million over five years.

The research team also includes Junjie Liu, clinical assistant professor of neurology; Douglas Van Daele, professor of otolaryngology; Sarah Gerard, assistant professor of biomedical engineering; Mathews Jacob, adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering; Sarv Priya, clinical assistant professor of radiology; and Bridget Zimmerman, professor of biostatistics.

A goal of the project is to confirm a new 3D dynamic magnetic resonance imaging methodology can effectively and safely quantify airway collapse that OSA patients experience during sleep. This approach would avoid limitations of drug induced sedation endoscopic screening, in which a tube is inserted into the airway during anaesthesia, and better predict for which patients hypoglossal nerve stimulation would be successful. 

“Since it will overcome current major technical challenges in safely quantitating airway collapse during OSA in sleep, it is poised to make a significant impact in better managing and guiding treatment plans for treating OSA,” Lingala said.  

Learn more about the project at the NIH website.