International Journal of Nursing Research

Objective To investigate the efficacy of semi-occluded vocal tract training in enhancing oropharyngeal facial muscle training in the treatment of adult mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Methods A total of 58 adult patients with mild-to-moderate OSAHS who visited the otolaryngology outpatient clinic of our hospital from January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with 29 patients in each group. The control group received only oropharyngeal facial muscle training, while the experimental group received additional semi-occluded vocal tract training. Both groups were assessed through polysomnography, sleep quality scores, and quality of life scores before and 90 days after the training intervention to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Results Significant improvements were observed in the main outcome measures for both groups after training. The experimental group showed increased adherence to oropharyngeal facial muscle training due to the addition of semi-occluded vocal tract training. Compared with the control group, the experimental group exhibited better therapeutic effects in terms of polysomnography parameters, sleep quality scores, and quality of life scores. Conclusions Semi-closed vocal training can effectively enhance the therapeutic effect of oropharyngeal facial muscle training on adult patients with mild-to-moderate OSAHS.

Semi-occluded vocal tract training; Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome; Oropharyngeal facial muscle training