App-guided face and mouth muscle exercises for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea
Tests app-supported mouth and face exercises in adults with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Where
- Hong Kong, Hong KongSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Digital-supported Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in OSA
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 60 people, planned
- Started
- 5 Jan 2026
- Expected to end
- 30 Apr 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Digital-supported Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
- Record updated
- 13 March 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea who cannot tolerate or do not want CPAP or an oral appliance. It tests a 3-month digital program of mouth and face exercises.
- Age
- 18 years and above
- Sex
- All sexes
- Disease stage
- Mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea: Apnoea-Hypopnea Index of 5-30 events per hour. Body Mass Index less than 30 kg/m2.
- Earlier treatment
- People must have a reason for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or oral appliance treatment, but be unable to tolerate it or decline it. People who had prior oral, throat or jaw-face surgery for sleep apnoea cannot join.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Blocked nose or nasal disease that blocks breathing
- Unstable mental health issues
- History of stroke
- Unstable long-term lung, heart or nerve conditions
- Prior oral, throat or jaw-face surgery for sleep apnoea
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 10 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Adults aged 18 years and above
- Diagnosed with mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, defined as: Apnoea-Hypopnea Index of 5-30 events per hour
- Indications for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or oral appliance treatment, but unable to tolerate or decline these treatments
- Body Mass Index less than 30 kg/m2
Who cannot take part
- Prior oral, pharyngeal, or maxillofacial surgical therapy for sleep apnoea
- Presence of obstructive nasal disease or significant nasal obstruction
- History of stroke
- Unstable chronic respiratory, cardiac, neurological conditions
- Unstable mental health issues
- Inability to provide informed consent
Where in Hong Kong
- Queen Mary HopsitalHong Kong, Hong KongContact: Agnes Lai, PhDTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This pilot study explores the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of Digital-supported Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (d-MFT), an innovative program combining facial recognition technology with evidence-based orofacial exercises for individuals with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The d-MFT program aims to strengthen oropharyngeal muscles, improve airway function, and reduce OSA severity.
Read full original descriptionShow less
Participants receiving 3-month d-MFT (n=30) are expected to demonstrate greater improvements in OSA severity, sleep-related symptoms, and quality of life compared to those in the waitlist control group (n=30).
Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated through outcome-based questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore participants' experiences, satisfaction, and perceived barriers to adherence.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Waitlist Control GroupNo study treatment, for comparison
The waitlist control group will not receive any intervention within the study period
- d-MFT Intervention GroupTreatment being tested
The d-MFT intervention group will participate in a 3-month digital-support Myofunctional Therapy program. This innovative program is designed to ensure proper exercise performance, enhance adherence, and provide real-time feedback to patients.
Treatment: Digital-supported Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Digital-supported Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in Subjects With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial
- Plain-language title
- App-guided face and mouth muscle exercises for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apneaGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 13 March 2026