App-Based facial exercises aim to ease sleep apnea without a mask
NCT ID NCT07292922
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests a digital program that uses facial recognition and guided exercises to strengthen throat muscles in people with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Sixty adults who cannot or will not use a CPAP machine will either receive the 3-month app-based therapy or join a waitlist. Researchers will measure changes in sleep quality, oxygen levels, and snoring, as well as how satisfied participants are with the program.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Digital-supported orofacial myofunctional therapy (app-based facial and tongue exercises)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-invasive, drug-free way to reduce sleep apnea severity and improve sleep quality without a CPAP machine.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 60 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy requires daily exercise, and long-term benefits are not yet proven.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 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 Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of obstructive nasal disease or significant nasal obstruction * Unstable mental health issues * History of stroke * Unstable chronic respiratory, cardiac, neurological conditions * Inability to provide informed consent * Prior oral, pharyngeal, or maxillofacial surgical therapy for sleep apnoea
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Queen Mary Hopsital
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- A smart neck brace may replace CPAP for sleep apnea
- A blood test for liver trouble may flag hidden risk in sleep apnea patients
- Blood oxygen dips may reveal who stays on CPAP
- Can a simple questionnaire improve sleep apnea treatment?