Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29275425›Full record

SynthesisEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2018

Oropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) for snoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Macario Camacho, Christian Guilleminault, Justin M Wei, Sungjin A Song, Michael W Noller, Lauren K Reckley, Camilo Fernandez-Salvador, Soroush Zaghi

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 21 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03913494 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

Transoral Daytime Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Patients With Simple Snoring

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of California, San DiegoRan2019 to 2020Enrolled48ConditionsSleep Apnea, Obstructive, Sleep Apnea, Sleep, SnoringArmsTransoral Neurostimulation Device (Snoozeal)
NCT07539870 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Isolated and Combined Effects of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on the Apnea-Hypopnea Index and Mandibular Excursion in Adults With Mild-to-Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The OMPACT-OSA Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorSaint-Joseph UniversityRan2026 to 2028Enrolled168ConditionsObstructive Sleep ApneaArmsSham Breathing Sessions, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Standard of Care Sleep-Hygiene and Lifestyle Counseling
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 79 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The effect of playing a wind instrument or singing on risk of sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2020
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Telemedicine-delivered myofunctional therapy remodels upper airway anatomy in obstructive sleep apnea: a prospective controlled study.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Effects of Orofacial Myofunctional Exercises on Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty Outcome: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2025
    Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. The Role of Myofunctional Therapy in Treating Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A State-of-the-Art Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Macario CamachoDivision of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96859, USA. drcamachoent@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9200-9085
Christian GuilleminaultSleep Medicine Division, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, 450 Broadway, Redwood City, CA, 94063, USA.
Justin M WeiDivision of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96859, USA.
Sungjin A SongDivision of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96859, USA.
Michael W NollerSchool of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
Lauren K ReckleyDivision of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96859, USA.
Camilo Fernandez-SalvadorDivision of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96859, USA.
Soroush ZaghiUCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA, 90404, USA.
Tripler Army Medical Center · USStanford Health Care · USUCLA Medical Center · USUniformed Services University of the Health Sciences · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeOropharyngeal and tongue exercises (myofunctional therapy) have been shown to improve obstructive sleep apnea. However, to our knowledge, a systematic review has not been performed for snoring. The study objective is to perform a systematic review, with a meta-analysis, dedicated to snoring outcomes after myofunctional therapy.

methodsPubMed/MEDLINE and three other databases were searched through November 25, 2017. Two authors independently searched the literature. Eligibility (1) patients: children or adults with snoring, (2) intervention: oropharyngeal and/or tongue exercises, (3) comparison: pre and post-treatment data for snoring, (4) outcomes: snoring frequency and snoring intensity, (5) study design: publications of all study designs.

resultsA total of 483 articles were screened, 56 were downloaded in their full text form, and nine studies reported outcomes related to snoring. There were a total of 211 patients (all adults) in these studies. The snoring intensity was reduced by 51% in 80 patients from pre-therapy to post-therapy visual analog scale values of 8.2 ± 2.1 (95% CI 7.7, 8.7) to 4.0 ± 3.7 (95% CI 3.2, 4.8). Berlin questionnaire snoring intensity reduced by 36% in 34 patients from 2.5 ± 1.0 (95% CI 2.2, 2.8) to 1.6 ± 0.8 (95% CI 1.3, 1.9). Finally, time spent snoring during sleep was reduced by 31% in 60 patients from 26.3 ± 18.7% (95% CI 21.6, 31.0) to 18.1 ± 20.5% (95% CI 12.9, 23.3) of total sleep time.

conclusionsThis systematic review demonstrated that myofunctional therapy has reduced snoring in adults based on both subjective questionnaires and objective sleep studies.

Indexed as

Myofunctional TherapyHumansSeverity of Illness IndexSnoringVisual Analog ScaleMeta-analysisMyofunctional therapySnoringSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID29275425
OpenAlexW2777242445

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.