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  • Updated 02.27.2025
  • Released 06.10.2018
  • Expires For CME 02.27.2028

Neurostimulation and neuromodulation in sleep medicine

Authors
Thomas R Gossard MD, Erik K St. Louis MD MS
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Editor
Bradley V Vaughn MD
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Cite this article

Introduction

Overview

Applications for neurostimulation, also known as neuromodulation of the central and peripheral nervous systems, are rapidly expanding across all fields of the clinical neurosciences and other related fields of medicine, including sleep medicine and sleep science. Advantages of neuromodulation include the possibility of excellent and specific efficacy when modulating well understood or relatively straightforward neural circuits, with an excellent safety profile and limited adverse effects. Applications in the field of sleep medicine specifically currently include neuromodulatory devices for obstructive and central sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome; research frontiers, including auricular vagus nerve stimulation for insomnia; as well as acoustic, electrical, and magnetic stimulation modalities aiming to promote slow-wave sleep.

The use of hypoglossal nerve stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea has become a standard therapeutic approach for patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who are intolerant of first-line continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Additionally, phrenic nerve stimulation is now an approved treatment for central sleep apnea, a disorder that traditionally has had relatively limited treatment options due to its complex pathophysiology. The future of sleep medicine and neuromodulation appears to be quite promising, with additional developments, such as the recently FDA-approved neuromodulatory tonic muscle activation device “TOMAC” for medication-resistant restless legs syndrome, auricular vagus nerve stimulation for insomnia, transcranial magnetic stimulation for several sleep disorders, transcranial direct current for hypersomnia or insomnia, and ongoing expanding research in slow-wave sleep neuromodulation. As we continue to better understand the basic neuroscience and physiology of sleep, future potential therapeutic intracranial targets for sleep manipulation have been proposed and preliminarily explored in proof-of-concept studies.

Key points

• Neuromodulation of the central and peripheral nervous systems is a rapidly expanding field being utilized or tested in a broad array of disciplines and applications.

• Advantages of neuromodulation include the possibilities of excellent and highly specific efficacy, with an excellent safety profile and limited adverse effects.

• Current sleep neuromodulation approaches include devices utilized for obstructive and central sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome; research applications for vagus nerve stimulation for insomnia; as well as neuromodulatory approaches toward slow-wave sleep promotion.

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