January 9, 2014
The Wall Street Journal (1/9, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reports that according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine, a surgically implanted device that stimulates a nerve in the jaw located at the base of the tongue appears to reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). For some patients, this may present an alternative to conventional Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) in which cumbersome masks must be worn while sleeping.

The New York Times (1/9, Saint Louis) “Well” blog reports that the new “device, called a neurostimulator, helped reduce breathing interruptions and raise blood oxygen levels in about two-thirds of sleep apnea patients participating in a trial” conducted at “22 sites internationally, in 126 patients.”
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