A Novel Optical Stimulation Method For Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$510,913.00
Summary
This project aims to develop and characterize a novel optogenetic pharyngeal stimulation system to dilate the upper airway using a light stimulus. This will provide proof-of-concept for a new minimally invasive treatment option for obstructive sleep apnoea.
Outcomes From A Multi-site Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Regional And General Anaesthesia For Effects On Neurodevelopmental Outcome And Apnoea In Infants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$757,831.00
Summary
Animal studies suggest general anaesthetics harm the developing brain. It is unclear if these findings are relevant to humans. The aim of this international randomised controlled trial is to determine whether children exposed to general anaesthesia as an infant have a poorer neurodevelopmental outcome. A previous NHMRC grant funded the first phase of the trial along with substantial funding from overseas. The trial will tell us if general anaesthetics affect the developing brain in children.
Sleep apnoea and depression are common in the community and depression is 3 times more common in people with sleep apnoea. Since similar symptoms occur in depression and sleep apnoea, it can be hard to distinguish between them. It is not clear if sleep apnoea can cause depression. This study will investigate how best to diagnose and treat depression in people with sleep apnoea and explore how depression and sleep apnoea are linked.
Local Sleep In The Awake Brain: An Underlying Cause Of Neurobehavioural Deficits In Sleep Apnea?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,330.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder which significantly impacts daytime functioning leading to excessive sleepiness, and problems with attention and thinking. Currently, the causes for cognitive impairment in OSA (including attentional lapses and performance deficits) are poorly understood. In the awake state, groups of neurons can briefly go “offline” as they do in sleep. These periods of “local sleep” may explain impaired task performance in OSA.
Biomechanical, Neural And Sensory Phenotyping Of The Upper Airway In Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$746,138.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder where the upper airway closes repeatedly during sleep. It results in daytime sleepiness, increased risk of accidents and cardiovascular disease. But not all patients are the same, and individually tailored treatments are needed. This project will develop new ways to identify the causes of OSA in individual patients, using new MRI imaging methods, sensory testing, and measurements of the neural activity in the muscles that keep the airway open.
Predicting Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Using 3D Craniofacial Photography
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$424,715.00
Summary
Sleep Apnoea is a common medical condition associated with snoring and collapse of the throat during sleep. Diagnosis of sleep apnoea involves an overnight sleep study in a specialised laboratory, which is expensive and time consuming. It is possible that sleep apnea could be diagnosed from a 3-dimensional photograph of the face. This study will define the relationships between sleep apnea and 3D face photographs in 956 young adults and 1,200 of their parents, and 3,000 sleep clinic patients.
Predicting The Successful Resolution Of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Following Weight-loss Surgery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$729,284.00
Summary
The current project aims to determine how obesity causes obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a disorder associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity & mortality. This research is a burgeoning area given that obesity is one of the western world’s leading health care concerns. Our findings may ultimately offer a refinement of weight-loss interventions to maximise their effects on OSA as well as offering novel treatment strategies in the management of this disorder that is desperately needed.
A New Clinical Tool To Assess Fitness-to-drive In Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,963.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) affects 1 in 4 middle aged adults. OSA results in impaired neurobehavioral function, excessive sleepiness, and more than 2-fold increased motor vehicle crash risk and workplace accidents. However, not all patients are impaired and identifying patients at risk is a daily clinical challenge. This project proposes new and simple measures that can accurately identify patients with OSA who are most vulnerable to alertness failure and motor vehicle accident risk.
Modafinil For Neurobehavioural Dysfunction In Sleep Apnea Patients Who Cannot Use Standard Device-based Treatments.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$505,830.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often caused by obesity and can result in fall-asleep car crashes. It is often treated by mechanical devices that keep the sleeping airway open. Unfortunately, around half of all patients cannot tolerate these treatments. We propose to help patients reduce obesity with a lifestyle intervention program whilst testing whether their daytime symptoms of sleepiness and poor driving ability can be treated with a wake-promoting drug called modafinil.