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.
Surface Tension Of Upper Airway Lining Liquid: Role In Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Hyponoea Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,833.00
Summary
The obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSAHS affects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will examine the effect that the liquid layer that lines the throat, has on the ability of the airway to st ....The obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSAHS affects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will examine the effect that the liquid layer that lines the throat, has on the ability of the airway to stay open during sleep. In particular we will examine whether coating the throat with a substance that decreases stickiness will help to prevent the occurrence of episodes of throat blockage during sleep in persons with OSAHS. We will also explore the role of saliva production and swallowing during sleep in maintaining a low stickiness of the throat and whether this liquid lining is abnormal in OSAHS patients. These studies will establish the potential usefulness of decreasing the stickiness of the liquid lining the throat as a treatment for OSAHS.Read moreRead less
There is increased recognition that sleep health problems are a major cause of illness in the community. These include disorders such as obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome and health problems related to shift work. It is proposed to form a consolidated network of sleep investigation groups to undertake larger scale clinical trials aimed at deciding what are the best treatments for different sleep disorders. The enabling grant will provide resources that will make Australi ....There is increased recognition that sleep health problems are a major cause of illness in the community. These include disorders such as obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome and health problems related to shift work. It is proposed to form a consolidated network of sleep investigation groups to undertake larger scale clinical trials aimed at deciding what are the best treatments for different sleep disorders. The enabling grant will provide resources that will make Australian involvement in international studies more competitive and achieve higher publication quality for the research work.Read moreRead less
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.
Microvascular And Macrovascular Disease In Snoring And Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Mechanism For Increased Stroke Risk.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$679,744.00
Summary
This project will address the important question of the vascular risk of stroke associated with snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, by using retinal photography of the eye to directly visualise the vascular changes in the cerebral circulation. Retinal photography may provide a useful clinical tool to help reduce the risk of stroke in patients with snoring and sleep apnoea.
FUNCTIONAL IMAGING OF THE BRAINSTEM AND CORTICAL SITES OF BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL IN HUMAN SUBJECTS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$398,498.00
Summary
Disturbances in cardiovascular control underpin many diseases yet little is known about how the brain controls the heart and blood vessels. This project uses brain imaging (fMRI) and concurrent nerve recording in awake human subjects to increase our understanding of how normal blood pressure is maintained and how different disease states influence this control.
Pressures Exerted On Upper Airway Walls By Surrounding Tissue Structures
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,500.00
Summary
The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSA effects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will examine the effect of the pressure in the tissues surrounding the throat on the ability of the throat to stay open a ....The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSA effects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will examine the effect of the pressure in the tissues surrounding the throat on the ability of the throat to stay open and allow breathing. The major outcome of the animal studies is increased knowledge concerning mechanisms whereby collapsing forces are applied to the upper airway. This will give insights into potential factors influencing upper airway collapse during sleep in OSA patients. Of particular importance will be our studies on the effects of jaw position on the pressure exerted on the walls of the throat since the use of an intra-oral device to hold the jaw forward during sleep is one of the treatments used to prevent throat blockage during sleep. The studies in humans will examine, for the first time, the notion that the mass (weight) of the neck has a direct effect on the severity of sleep disordered breathing. If neck mass has a substantive influence on sleep disordered breathing then strategies aimed at reducing neck mass (fat) may provide a new therapeutic approach to the management of OSA patients.Read moreRead less