Feasibility of oropharyngeal and respiratory muscle training in individuals with OSA and spinal cord injury or disease: A pilot study.

Objectives: To examine the feasibility of individuals with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) to perform combined oropharyngeal and respiratory muscle training (RMT) and determine its impact on their respiratory function.

Methods: A prospective study at a single Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Inclusion criteria included: 1) Veterans with chronic SCI/D (>6 months postinjury and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification A-D) and 2) evidence of OSA by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI ≥5 events/h).