. 2020 Nov 3;2020(11):CD013449. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013449.pub2

Bellur 2012.

*Study characteristics*
Methods	Study design: parallel, RCT. Recruitment period: November 2010 – June 2012. Duration of study: study start date: November 2010. Actual study completion date: June 2012. Study setting: outpatient. Hacettepe University Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department. Ankara, Turkey.
Participants	Key inclusion criteria: mild, moderate and severe patients with OSA who did not use CPAP, aged 19‐75 years. Key exclusion criteria: participants with a history of stroke, neurological disease, severe obstructive nasal disease and infection history in the last month, or BMI was 40 kg /m² or more. Age (years): mean (SD): 53.7 (7.1) in oropharyngeal exercises group and 47.3 (7.3) in standard medical treatment control group. Gender: for participants that ended the study: therapy group: 11 men and 3 women; control group: 10 men and 2 women. Comorbidities: not stated. BMI: mean (SD): 31.4 (3.8) in oropharyngeal exercises group and 32.1 (3.7) in standard medical treatment control group. AHI (events/hour): not available. ESS: mean (SD): 8.1 (6.3) in oropharyngeal exercises group and 9.7 (5.9) in control group. PSQI: mean (SD): not available. N randomised: 36, 18 to each group. N analysed: 26. Dropouts: 4 in oropharyngeal exercises group and 6 in standard medical treatment control group.
Interventions	Intervention: oropharyngeal exercises. Same set of oropharyngeal exercises used by Guimaraes (see NCT00660777 Guimaraes 2009). 5 days a week for 3 months supervised by physical therapist. Used mirror for visual feedback. Comparator: standard medical treatment. Concomitant interventions: none.
Outcomes	Prespecified outcomes: protocol not available. Reported outcomes: Neck circumference. Snoring frequency. Snoring intensity. Daytime sleepiness (ESS). Sleep quality score (PSQI). Time points of measurement: 3 months.
Notes	Publication: abstract from conference proceedings only. Additional information requested and received from authors on allocation procedures. Funding for trial: not reported. Conflicts of interest: none. Registered: not reported. Sample size calculations: not reported. Data sharing statement: none.
*Risk of bias*
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Randomisation with closed envelopes.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Randomisation with closed envelopes.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Unblinded study.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Unblinded study.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Similar percentages of losses to follow‐up in both groups.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Protocol not available.
Other bias	Low risk	The study appears to be free of other sources of bias.