Therapeutic electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve in obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation has been demonstrated to relieve upper airway obstruction acutely, but its effect on obstructive sleep apnea is not known.

Objective: To determine the response in obstructive sleep apnea to electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve.

Methods: Eight patients with obstructive sleep apnea were implanted with a device that stimulated the hypoglossal nerve unilaterally during inspiration.

Is the atrial high rate episode diagnostic feature reliable in detecting paroxysmal episodes of atrial tachyarrhythmias?

The atrial high rate episode diagnostic in the Thera pacemaker reports frequency, duration, and date/time of atrial tachyarrhythmias according to programmed criteria. The aim of the study was to validate the atrial high rate episode diagnostic feature. Episodes of atrial fibrillation recorded by Holter monitoring were compared to episodes detected by the pacemaker.

Dynamic control of location-specific information in tactile cutaneous reflexes from the foot during human walking.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether tactile cutaneous reflexes from the skin of the foot contain location-specific information during human walking. Muscular responses to non-nociceptive electrical stimulation of the sural, posterior tibial, and superficial peroneal nerves, each supplying a different skin area of the foot, were studied in both legs during walking on a treadmill. For all three nerves the major responses in all muscles were observed at a similar latency of approximately 80-85 msec.

Modulation of the mandibular stretch reflex sensitivity during various phases of rhythmic open-close movements in humans.

The muscle spindles of the jaw elevator muscles provide positive feedback to the alpha motoneurons. It is generally assumed that the feedback is modulated during chewing so that counterproductive forces of the jaw elevator muscles can be avoided during jaw opening. Our aim was to investigate the modulation of the muscle spindle input to the alpha motoneurons during various phases of open-close movements in man.

Long-term recording of cardiac output via an implantable haemodynamic monitoring device.

Long-term monitoring of central haemodynamics with implanted monitoring systems might be valuable in managing heart failure patients. Such systems offer an opportunity for repeated 'semi-invasive' cardiac output determinations according to the Fick principle. Five patients, four with chronic heart failure and one with chronic pulmonary disease, underwent supine exercise testing during cardiac catheterization at 0, 2, 6 and 11 months after implantation of a right ventricular mixed venous oxygen saturation sensor connected to an implantable haemodynamic monitor.