Purpose: to check the contribution of speech therapy in the treatment of a patient with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. METHODS: case description of a sixty-year old, female patient with severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome that underwent speech therapy treatment for improvement of the apnea/ hypopnea condition, snoring, and day fatigue. Clinical evaluation of orofacial myology and a polysomnography were performed before and after speech therapy. Based on the clinical evaluation, a therapeutic plan was elaborated to provide the patient with cervical relaxation and relaxation of the suprahyoid muscles, for improvement in nasal aeration, tongue strength and position, strengthening of the soft palate muscles and their mobility, as well as the mastication muscles. Alternate bilateral mastication training and lowering of the hyoid bone were included. RESULTS: after twelve-forty-minute sessions of speech therapy, a decrease of cervical tension and relaxation of the suprahyoid muscles were observed. The position of the hyoid bone had been adjusted as well as tongue normotension with the dorsal lowered. The soft palate had normal mobility with adequate mastication. The patient reported important improvement in day fatigue. The result of the second polysomnography indicated a decrease from 44 to 3 events per hour of apnea and hypopnea during sleep, lowering the severe level to an index of breathing disturbance which no longer characterized the disease as sleep apnea. CONCLUSION: speech therapy was effective in the treatment for this case of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.
Sleep Apnea Syndromes; Speech Therapy; Polysomnography