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Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation on Cardiovascular Outcomes

Cardiovascular Endpoints for Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Twelfth Nerve Stimulation (CARDIOSA-12): A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Double-Blind, Crossover Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03359096
Acronym
CARDIOSA-12
Enrollment
63
Registered
2017-12-02
Start date
2017-12-13
Completion date
2022-01-21
Last updated
2023-03-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Keywords

Sleep apnea, Tongue stimulation, Cardiovascular function

Brief summary

A new, well-tolerated treatment for obstructive sleep apnea - tongue stimulation - is a device which opens the airway during sleep and can provide treatment for patients unable to use the mask and hose treatment. The study will evaluate the effect of this new treatment on blood pressure and heart-related measures to see if it lowers patients' risk of heart problems.

Detailed description

Obstructive sleep apnea, repetitive airway blockage during sleep, affects 1 in 10 Americans. If left untreated, it results in decreased quality of life and increased risk of heart problems. Only half of these people are able to use the main treatment, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which involves wearing a mask and hose at night. A new, well-tolerated treatment - tongue stimulation - is a device which opens the airway during sleep and can provide treatment for patients unable to use the mask and hose treatment. The study will evaluate the effect of this new treatment on blood pressure and heart-related measures to see if it lowers patients' risk of heart problems.

Interventions

DEVICETherapeutic HGNS

Prior to enrollment in this study, the HGNS will have been implanted as part of clinical care, and a therapeutic voltage setting will have been determined via overnight sleep study The pulse generator, using technology from cardiac pacemakers, utilizes the signal from the pressure sensor for timing of stimulation to the tongue nerve. Patient will undergo activation of the implanted device one month post-operatively. A functional threshold (in volts) is obtained based on tongue motion during device stimulation. For the next month, the patient will have steadily increased stimulation strength by 0.1V every 2-3 nights within the preset range until the upper limit is reached.

DEVICESubtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS

Sham threshold determination will be performed as follows. The patient will be in a reclined position with the mouth open while nasal breathing. Stimulation will be increased from 0.1V up by 0.1V until bulk tongue motion is detected without obvious protrusion. This process is repeated twice and the average value is used to determine sham-HGNS. The electrode configuration will remain consistent between the patient's therapeutic and sham thresholds

Sponsors

American Heart Association
CollaboratorOTHER
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Pennsylvania
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Washout Period 1 (Study Week 1): The patient will not use Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS) for 1 week. Randomization Visit (Study Week 2): The patient will be randomized to sub-therapeutic HGNS (sham) or therapeutic HGNS (treatment) for 28 days. Sympathetic and Vascular testing (Study Week 6). Washout Period 2 (Study Week 6-7): The patient will not use HGNS for 7 days. The patient will be switched to the other intervention arm (treatment to sham vs. sham to treatment) for 28 days. Sympathetic and Vascular testing (Study Week 11).

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
22 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

All patients recruited into the study will have already been implanted with the Inspire® HGNS device. Additional Inclusion Criteria include: * As tolerating the therapeutic level during sleep can take time (weeks to months), all patients must be able to use the device at the therapeutic setting (\> 20 hours/week for \> 1 month) prior to enrollment, based on compliance data. * All patients will be English-speaking and able to give written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

include: * Inspire® remote Model 2500 or later is required. Patients with older remotes are not candidates due to limited adherence monitoring capabilities. * Patients who have fallen asleep while driving resulting in accident or near miss accident within 1 year prior to HGNS implantation. * Actively using positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy for treatment of OSA. * Patients in whom the difference between sham and therapeutic voltages is less than 30% the therapeutic voltage. * Pregnant women will be excluded.\* * Women of childbearing potential must NOT be pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant. This study involves temporarily stopping treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, which may harm the fetus. If applicable, the patient will need to take a urine pregnancy test after enrollment (prior to washout #1), and again prior to washout #2.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean 24-Hour Systolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesStudy Week 6, Day 1; study Week 11, Day 1Patients will undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure testing (ABP) using a noninvasive, portable device. The monitor is programmed to record blood pressure every 30 minutes. The patient will be asked to record bedtime and wake time to corroborate the sleep and wake time from the recorder. Mean 24-hour systolic ambulatory blood pressure values will be calculated.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean Nocturnal Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesStudy Week 6, Day 1; study Week 11, Day 1Patients will undergo ambulatory blood pressure testing (ABP) using a noninvasive, portable device. The patient will be asked to record bedtime and wake time to corroborate the sleep and wake time from the recorder. Mean sleep systolic and diastolic ambulatory blood pressure values will be calculated.
Mean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Frequency (Bursts/Minute)Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2The peroneal nerve will be located with transcutaneous stimulation and a tungsten microelectrode will be inserted into the nerve, and a reference electrode will be inserted 1-2 cm from the recording electrode. Nerve signals will be preamplified, amplified, filtered, rectified, and integrated to obtain a mean voltage display of sympathetic nerve activity that is recorded. Muscle sympathetic bursts will be identified by visual inspection and expressed as burst frequency (bursts per minute). MSNA was only performed on 7 patients at Emory University, prior to the trial being transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. This is due to there being no research collaborators available at the University of Pennsylvania to capture MSNA as part of this trial. There is insufficient data gathered to make meaningful claims regarding this outcome measure.
Mean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Tonal Activity (Units/Minute)Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2The peroneal nerve will be located with transcutaneous stimulation and a tungsten microelectrode will be inserted into the nerve, and a reference electrode will be inserted 1-2 cm from the recording electrode. Nerve signals will be preamplified, amplified, filtered, rectified, and integrated to obtain tonal activity (units/minute). MSNA was only performed on 7 patients at Emory University, prior to the trial being transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. This is due to there being no research collaborators available at the University of Pennsylvania to capture MSNA as part of this trial. There is insufficient data gathered to make meaningful claims regarding this outcome measure.
Mean Pre-Ejection Period (PEP)Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2A patient will be fitted with Impedance Cardiography (ICG) Noninvasive Cardiac Output Module that will record the ECG (Electrocardiogram) and the ICG (Impedance cardiography) continuously during a 10-minute period. PEP will be calculated as the average interval (milliseconds) from the onset of left ventricular depolarization, reflected by the Q-wave onset in the ECG to the opening of the aortic valve, reflected by the B-point in the ICG signal. A significant difference in PEP to be a 10 millisecond increase from baseline.
Mean 24-Hour Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesStudy Week 6, Day 1; study Week 11, Day 1Patients will undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure testing (ABP) using a noninvasive, portable device. The monitor is programmed to record blood pressure every 30 minutes. The patient will be asked to record bedtime and wake time to corroborate the sleep and wake time from the recorder. Mean 24-hour diastolic ambulatory blood pressure values will be calculated.
Mean Peripheral Arterial Stiffness (PAS)Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2Following a rest period of 10 minutes with subjects in a supine position in a quiet, temperature-controlled room, blood pressure will be measured 3 times at 5-minute intervals by an automatic device. The standard metric of peripheral arterial stiffness (PAS) is carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), which will be estimated using the Sphygmocor device® (Atcor Medical, Sydney, Australia). PAS was only captured on 21 patients at Emory University and the University of Pennsylvania. This is due to our cardiovascular research collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania indicating they would no longer be able to support our research study due to their own COVID-19 related resource constraints. There is insufficient data gathered to make meaningful claims regarding this outcome measure. PAS is reported as changes in pulse wave velocity, with a meters/second unit measure.
Mean Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) Reciprocal Reaction TimeStudy Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2Patients will perform the neurobehavioral test on a specially calibrated (for timing precision) and designated laptop in a quiet room in the outpatient setting. Each patient will perform a unique version of the psychomotor vigilance test to assess psychomotor speed. The trial's protocol was amended to begin capturing neurobehavioral measures like the PVT at the University of Pennsylvania, as part of a new collaboration with research collaborators in the Department of Psychiatry. PVT is a validated instrument to capture attention, and response time on this cognitive test is reported as reciprocal milliseconds or 1/milliseconds.
Mean Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) Reaction TimeStudy Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2Patients will perform the neurobehavioral test on a specially calibrated (for timing precision) and designated laptop in a quiet room in the outpatient setting. Each patient will perform a unique version of the digit symbol substitution test to assess processing speed. The trial's protocol was amended to begin capturing neurobehavioral measures like the DSST at the University of Pennsylvania, as part of a new collaboration with research collaborators in the Department of Psychiatry. DSST is a validated instrument to capture visual tracking and working memory, and response time on this cognitive test is reported in milliseconds.
Mean Flow-mediated Dilation (FMD)Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2The brachial artery of the nondominant arm will be imaged using a high-resolution ultrasound transducer. A blood pressure cuff on the forearm will be inflated to suprasystolic pressures to produce 5 min of ischemia. On cuff deflation, imaging will be performed to measure FMD. Brachial artery FMD will be calculated as (post-ischemia diameter - baseline diameter) / (baseline diameter) x 100.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Therapeutic HGNS, Then Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS
Therapeutic Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS): Prior to enrollment in this study, the HGNS will have been implanted as part of clinical care, and a therapeutic voltage setting will have been determined via overnight sleep study The pulse generator, using technology from cardiac pacemakers, utilizes the signal from the pressure sensor for timing of stimulation to the tongue nerve. Patient will undergo activation of the implanted device one month post-operatively. A functional threshold (in volts) is obtained based on tongue motion during device stimulation. For the next month, the patient will have steadily increased stimulation strength by 0.1V every 2-3 nights within the preset range until the upper limit is reached. Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS: Sham threshold determination will be performed as follows. The patient will be in a reclined position with the mouth open while nasal breathing. Stimulation will be increased from 0.1V up by 0.1V until bulk tongue motion is detected without obvious protrusion. This process is repeated twice, and the average value is used to determine sham-HGNS. The electrode configuration will remain consistent between the patient's therapeutic and sham thresholds. \*The trial's total enrollment was 63 patients; however, 3 patients were consented & enrolled but did not complete the entirety of study procedures. One patient was consented and enrolled but withdrew prior to intervention assignment, and two patients withdrew prior to crossover.
29
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS, Therapeutic HGNS
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS: Sham threshold determination will be performed as follows. The patient will be in a reclined position with the mouth open while nasal breathing. Stimulation will be increased from 0.1V up by 0.1V until bulk tongue motion is detected without obvious protrusion. This process is repeated twice and the average value is used to determine sham-HGNS. The electrode configuration will remain consistent between the patient's therapeutic and sham thresholds. Therapeutic HGNS: Prior to enrollment in this study, the HGNS will have been implanted as part of clinical care, and a therapeutic voltage setting will have been determined via overnight sleep study The pulse generator, using technology from cardiac pacemakers, utilizes the signal from the pressure sensor for timing of stimulation to the tongue nerve. Patient will undergo activation of the implanted device one month post-operatively. A functional threshold (in volts) is obtained based on tongue motion during device stimulation. For the next month, the patient will have steadily increased stimulation strength by 0.1V every 2-3 nights within the preset range until the upper limit is reached. \*The trial's total enrollment was 63 patients; however, 3 patients were consented & enrolled but did not complete the entirety of study procedures. One patient was consented and enrolled but withdrew prior to intervention assignment, and two patients withdrew prior to crossover.
31
Total60

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
First Intervention (4 Weeks)Death10
First Intervention (4 Weeks)Physician Decision10
HGNS Washout (1 Week)Withdrawal by Subject01

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicSubtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS, Therapeutic HGNSTotalTherapeutic HGNS, Then Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS
Age, Continuous67.1 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.8
67.3 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.9
67.6 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.5
Body Mass Index (BMI)27.9 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.2
28.7 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.6
29.6 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.9
Pre-Implant Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI)31.9 events/hour
STANDARD_DEVIATION 14.9
33.1 events/hour
STANDARD_DEVIATION 14.9
34.4 events/hour
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Asian
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Black
0 Participants3 Participants3 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Hispanic
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
White
29 Participants55 Participants26 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
11 Participants22 Participants11 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
20 Participants38 Participants18 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 601 / 60
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 600 / 60
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 600 / 60

Outcome results

Primary

Mean 24-Hour Systolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values

Patients will undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure testing (ABP) using a noninvasive, portable device. The monitor is programmed to record blood pressure every 30 minutes. The patient will be asked to record bedtime and wake time to corroborate the sleep and wake time from the recorder. Mean 24-hour systolic ambulatory blood pressure values will be calculated.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 1; study Week 11, Day 1

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean 24-Hour Systolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values122.8 mmHgStandard Deviation 11.8
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean 24-Hour Systolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values123.0 mmHgStandard Deviation 10.8
Secondary

Mean 24-Hour Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values

Patients will undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure testing (ABP) using a noninvasive, portable device. The monitor is programmed to record blood pressure every 30 minutes. The patient will be asked to record bedtime and wake time to corroborate the sleep and wake time from the recorder. Mean 24-hour diastolic ambulatory blood pressure values will be calculated.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 1; study Week 11, Day 1

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean 24-Hour Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values71.9 mmHgStandard Deviation 7.8
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean 24-Hour Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values72.1 mmHgStandard Deviation 7
Secondary

Mean Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) Reaction Time

Patients will perform the neurobehavioral test on a specially calibrated (for timing precision) and designated laptop in a quiet room in the outpatient setting. Each patient will perform a unique version of the digit symbol substitution test to assess processing speed. The trial's protocol was amended to begin capturing neurobehavioral measures like the DSST at the University of Pennsylvania, as part of a new collaboration with research collaborators in the Department of Psychiatry. DSST is a validated instrument to capture visual tracking and working memory, and response time on this cognitive test is reported in milliseconds.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: DSST was only captured on 43 patients following the trial's transfer from Emory University to the University of Pennsylvania. This was due to a new collaboration between the Department of Otorhinolaryngology \& the Department of Psychiatry to investigate changes in cognitive status for obstructive sleep apnea patients being treated with HGNS.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) Reaction Time1846.64 millisecondsStandard Deviation 355.5
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) Reaction Time1893.57 millisecondsStandard Deviation 428.1
Secondary

Mean Flow-mediated Dilation (FMD)

The brachial artery of the nondominant arm will be imaged using a high-resolution ultrasound transducer. A blood pressure cuff on the forearm will be inflated to suprasystolic pressures to produce 5 min of ischemia. On cuff deflation, imaging will be performed to measure FMD. Brachial artery FMD will be calculated as (post-ischemia diameter - baseline diameter) / (baseline diameter) x 100.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: Due to COVID-19 related resource constraints and/or poor signal quality acquisition, several FMD measurements were not included for analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Flow-mediated Dilation (FMD)6.65 % of dilation from baselineStandard Deviation 4.38
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Flow-mediated Dilation (FMD)6.79 % of dilation from baselineStandard Deviation 5.03
Secondary

Mean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Frequency (Bursts/Minute)

The peroneal nerve will be located with transcutaneous stimulation and a tungsten microelectrode will be inserted into the nerve, and a reference electrode will be inserted 1-2 cm from the recording electrode. Nerve signals will be preamplified, amplified, filtered, rectified, and integrated to obtain a mean voltage display of sympathetic nerve activity that is recorded. Muscle sympathetic bursts will be identified by visual inspection and expressed as burst frequency (bursts per minute). MSNA was only performed on 7 patients at Emory University, prior to the trial being transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. This is due to there being no research collaborators available at the University of Pennsylvania to capture MSNA as part of this trial. There is insufficient data gathered to make meaningful claims regarding this outcome measure.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: MSNA was only performed on 7 patients at Emory University, prior to the trial being transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. For MSNA performed during Therapeutic HGNS arm, 3 patients did not have analyzable MSNA data. For MSNA performed during subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS arm, 2 patients did not have analyzable MSNA data.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Frequency (Bursts/Minute)20.2 bursts/minuteStandard Deviation 10.6
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Frequency (Bursts/Minute)17.6 bursts/minuteStandard Deviation 5.8
Secondary

Mean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Tonal Activity (Units/Minute)

The peroneal nerve will be located with transcutaneous stimulation and a tungsten microelectrode will be inserted into the nerve, and a reference electrode will be inserted 1-2 cm from the recording electrode. Nerve signals will be preamplified, amplified, filtered, rectified, and integrated to obtain tonal activity (units/minute). MSNA was only performed on 7 patients at Emory University, prior to the trial being transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. This is due to there being no research collaborators available at the University of Pennsylvania to capture MSNA as part of this trial. There is insufficient data gathered to make meaningful claims regarding this outcome measure.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: MSNA was only performed on 7 patients at Emory University, prior to the trial being transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. For MSNA performed during Therapeutic HGNS arm, 3 patients did not have analyzable MSNA data. For MSNA performed during subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNS arm, 2 patients did not have analyzable MSNA data.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Tonal Activity (Units/Minute)29.6 units/minuteStandard Deviation 15.1
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) Tonal Activity (Units/Minute)7.0 units/minuteStandard Deviation 23.9
Secondary

Mean Nocturnal Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values

Patients will undergo ambulatory blood pressure testing (ABP) using a noninvasive, portable device. The patient will be asked to record bedtime and wake time to corroborate the sleep and wake time from the recorder. Mean sleep systolic and diastolic ambulatory blood pressure values will be calculated.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 1; study Week 11, Day 1

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Nocturnal Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesSLEEP systolic blood pressure115.0 mmHgStandard Deviation 14.6
Therapeutic HGNSMean Nocturnal Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesSLEEP diastolic blood pressure65.8 mmHgStandard Deviation 9.1
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Nocturnal Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesSLEEP systolic blood pressure114.8 mmHgStandard Deviation 14
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Nocturnal Systolic and Diastolic Ambulatory Blood Pressure ValuesSLEEP diastolic blood pressure66.3 mmHgStandard Deviation 8.7
Secondary

Mean Peripheral Arterial Stiffness (PAS)

Following a rest period of 10 minutes with subjects in a supine position in a quiet, temperature-controlled room, blood pressure will be measured 3 times at 5-minute intervals by an automatic device. The standard metric of peripheral arterial stiffness (PAS) is carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), which will be estimated using the Sphygmocor device® (Atcor Medical, Sydney, Australia). PAS was only captured on 21 patients at Emory University and the University of Pennsylvania. This is due to our cardiovascular research collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania indicating they would no longer be able to support our research study due to their own COVID-19 related resource constraints. There is insufficient data gathered to make meaningful claims regarding this outcome measure. PAS is reported as changes in pulse wave velocity, with a meters/second unit measure.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: For PAS performed during Therapeutic HGNS arm, 2 patients did not have analyzable PAS data.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Peripheral Arterial Stiffness (PAS)11.1 meters/secondStandard Deviation 6.2
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Peripheral Arterial Stiffness (PAS)9.8 meters/secondStandard Deviation 2.8
Secondary

Mean Pre-Ejection Period (PEP)

A patient will be fitted with Impedance Cardiography (ICG) Noninvasive Cardiac Output Module that will record the ECG (Electrocardiogram) and the ICG (Impedance cardiography) continuously during a 10-minute period. PEP will be calculated as the average interval (milliseconds) from the onset of left ventricular depolarization, reflected by the Q-wave onset in the ECG to the opening of the aortic valve, reflected by the B-point in the ICG signal. A significant difference in PEP to be a 10 millisecond increase from baseline.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: Due to COVID-19 related resource constraints and/or poor signal quality acquisition, several PEP measurements were not included for analysis.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Pre-Ejection Period (PEP)105.7 millisecondsStandard Deviation 16.5
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Pre-Ejection Period (PEP)105.4 millisecondsStandard Deviation 16.8
Secondary

Mean Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) Reciprocal Reaction Time

Patients will perform the neurobehavioral test on a specially calibrated (for timing precision) and designated laptop in a quiet room in the outpatient setting. Each patient will perform a unique version of the psychomotor vigilance test to assess psychomotor speed. The trial's protocol was amended to begin capturing neurobehavioral measures like the PVT at the University of Pennsylvania, as part of a new collaboration with research collaborators in the Department of Psychiatry. PVT is a validated instrument to capture attention, and response time on this cognitive test is reported as reciprocal milliseconds or 1/milliseconds.

Time frame: Study Week 6, Day 2; Study Week 11, Day 2

Population: PVT was only captured on 43 patients following the trial's transfer from Emory University to the University of Pennsylvania. This was due to a new collaboration between the Department of Otorhinolaryngology \& the Department of Psychiatry to investigate changes in cognitive status for obstructive sleep apnea patients being treated with HGNS.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Therapeutic HGNSMean Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) Reciprocal Reaction Time4.01 1/millisecondsStandard Deviation 0.47
Subtherapeutic 'Sham' HGNSMean Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) Reciprocal Reaction Time3.97 1/millisecondsStandard Deviation 0.51

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 7, 2026