The Role Of Arousal And Respiratory Control Factors In The Pathogenesis Of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,924.00
Summary
Sleep apnoea (OSA) is a very common breathing disorder in sleep characterized by repetitive closure of the collapsible portion of the throat with serious effects on sleep quality and health. Basic causes of OSA are still largely unknown. We will investigate waking responses to breathing load and related respiratory control factors that we believe may be fundamental causes of OSA, and potentially explain many features of OSA including worsening in light sleep and with increasing age.
Quantifying The Ventilatory Control Contribution To Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Using Clinical Polysomnography
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,995.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a highly prevalent condition with limited treatment options. New research shows that many patients have sleep apnoea because of a hypersensitive control of breathing (instability). Yet there is no way to measure instability and target it clinically. We aim to refine and apply a powerful new method to measuring breathing instability using a conventional sleep study, to allow treatments for sleep apnoea to be targeted at those patients who will respond most effectively.
Mechanisms Of Apnea And Periodic Breathing In The Newborn.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$381,100.00
Summary
Breathing pauses referred to as apnea or periodic breathing occur frequently in the preterm infant, and often require intensive clinical vigilance to ensure survival. And yet the mechanisms that produce and terminate apnea are not understood. This study will investigate the mechanisms underlying infantile apnea and periodic breathing and the effectiveness of drugs and techniques currently used to control apnea by using a combination of infant animal model studies, mathematical modelling studies ....Breathing pauses referred to as apnea or periodic breathing occur frequently in the preterm infant, and often require intensive clinical vigilance to ensure survival. And yet the mechanisms that produce and terminate apnea are not understood. This study will investigate the mechanisms underlying infantile apnea and periodic breathing and the effectiveness of drugs and techniques currently used to control apnea by using a combination of infant animal model studies, mathematical modelling studies and studies in human preterm infants to improve our understanding of breathing control in infancy.Read moreRead less
Neural Control Of Human Respiratory Muscles In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,132.00
Summary
This research examines how human inspiratory muscles that ‘pump’ air into the lungs are controlled in health and disease. We will study the interaction between automatic and voluntary control of breathing, about which very little is known. The control of breathing in patients who breathe against an inspiratory load (eg. asthma) and mechanically ventilated patients will be a focus of this research. Outcomes include better understanding of the control of breathing and improved patient care.
Regulatory Control Of The Upper Airway Muscle Genioglossus During Sleep
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,855.00
Summary
Difficulty breathing during sleep is a major health problem. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the most frequently occurring of these disorders, being found in approximately 4% of males and 2% of females. In OSA the upper airway (UA) collapses during sleep preventing airflow and causing a fall in oxygen levels in the blood. The airway collapses because during sleep muscles in the UA are unable to offset the negative pressure generated within the airway by the effort of inspiring. If the negative ....Difficulty breathing during sleep is a major health problem. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the most frequently occurring of these disorders, being found in approximately 4% of males and 2% of females. In OSA the upper airway (UA) collapses during sleep preventing airflow and causing a fall in oxygen levels in the blood. The airway collapses because during sleep muscles in the UA are unable to offset the negative pressure generated within the airway by the effort of inspiring. If the negative pressure is too great and the airway collapses the person has to wake up to reopen the airway. As the UA collapses again on the return of sleep, the cycle becomes repetitive, causing sleep disruption. OSA is a significant health risk causing heart disorders, increased mortality, daytime sleepiness, reduced daytime performance and increased risk of accidents. OSA is due to two interacting factors. First, people with a narrow airway have to generate a greater negative pressure during inspiration. Second, and critically, sleep reduces activity in the UA muscles. The importance of this sleep effect is indicated by the observation that OSA patients do not obstruct while awake. Thus, a respiratory abnormality during sleep is a necessary component of the disorder. However, progress in understanding motor control of UA muscles has been slow. We argue that this is in part because research has concentrated on analysing the activity of the UA muscles, rather than measuring the individual motor units that make up the muscles. In this project we propose to investigate the sleep related activity of individual motor units in the UA muscle, genioglossus (GG). GG plays a critical role in the UA as it keeps the tongue from collapsing backwards into the airway. We anticipate that this approach will provide insights into motor control of the tongue and the role of GG in the development of OSA.Read moreRead less
Breathing Control As A Treatment For Non-Epileptic Seizures
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,740,186.00
Summary
Non-epileptic Seizures (NES) are fits that look like epilepsy but are not, and are instead thought to be a psychological response to problems. Treating them psychologically is difficult, however, and doesn't usually work. We have discovered that patients' fits involve hyperventilation, like a panic attack, and can be stopped by teaching them to control their breathing in a similar way. In this study we aim to prove this, by completing a trial of breath control training in NES.
Combined Therapy To Ameliorate Ventilatory Instability In Patients With Heart Failure And Sleep Apnea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,648.00
Summary
Sleep apnea is highly prevalent, particularly in patients with heart failure, and treatment remains limited to applying pressure via a face mask which can be intolerable. Although instability in breathing control is a major cause of apnea in many patients, treatments targeting instability with sufficient efficacy are unavailable. This project will combine two treatments, acetazolamide and oxygen, to powerfully reduce instability and provide relief from sleep apnea in a subgroup of patients.
My work investigates the neural output to human inspiratory muscles and how it is related to mechanical effectiveness for breathing. The aim is to discover how this relationship can change with respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnoea. I also examine the changes in breathing muscle control in people with spinal cord injury. This work promises new understanding of the basic control of respiration and how it changes with disease.