THURSDAY, July 24 (HealthDayNews) -- A new oral device helps people with sleep apnea, says a small study in the July issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The researchers found the mandibular advancement splint, when used during sleep, reduces upper airway collapsibility in people with obstructive sleep apnea. The device lowered the number of temporary pauses in breathing for 10 seconds or more from an average of 25 per hour to less than five per hour.

The splint was tested on nine men and one woman. It achieved complete response in five of the participants and partial response in two of them.

Complete response was defined as a resolution of symptoms and a reduction in the mean number of breathing pauses from 25 to less than five per hour. Partial response was defined as improved symptoms, along with a 50 percent reduction in the number of breathing pauses.

Three of the participants had treatment failure, defined as less than a 50 percent reduction in breathing pauses.

Sleep apnea is caused by a blockage in the throat or upper airway. Apnea occurs when a sleeping person repeatedly stops breathing for 10 seconds or longer, long enough to decrease the amount of oxygen in the blood and brain and to increase the amount of carbon monoxide.

After a number of seconds of not breathing, people with sleep apnea usually awaken enough to resume breathing. Headaches, severe daytime sleepiness, slowed mental activity and pulmonary insufficiency can all result from sleep apnea.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about sleep apnea.