Teenagers with Down syndrome and severe sleep apnoea experience significant improvements in sleep and quality of life outcomes when treated with hypoglossal nerve stimulation, US researchers have found.

Results from their small cohort study suggest that the upper airway device is safe and effective in this paediatric setting, with an average reduction in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score of five points.

“This is a promising new option for these children and their families,” said first author and otolaryngologist Dr Phoebe Yu, from Massachusetts Eye and Ear teaching hospital in Boston.

Writing in JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, the researchers reported on data from 42 adolescents (mean age 15) with Down syndrome and persistent severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) who were unable to tolerate CPAP or night-time tracheostomy dependence.