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 The Long Term Lung Health Outcomes In Young Adults Born Very Preterm
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$854,201.00
Summary
Preterm birth and its resulting lung problems can lead to breathing problems during childhood and into adult life. There are very few lung health studies that have tracked preterm individuals from childhood and into early adult life. This study will conduct a detailed lung health assessment in a follow-up of a group of preterm individuals at 19 years of age. We aim to identify if information we obtained in the group at 6 and 11 years can predict how the lungs look and behave at 19 years of age.
Regional Mechanisms Of Ventilator Induced Lung Injury: Insights From Dynamic Lung Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,323.00
Summary
Mortality rates due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are high (>30%). While ARDS requires mechanical ventilation as a lifesaving intervention, it is clear that mechanical ventilation itself can contribute to the high mortality rates. We will use a new lung imaging technology (CTXV) to visualize the damage that occurs to the lung as a result of mechanical ventilation in order to design better ventilation strategies and reduce mortality rates in these critically ill patients.
Predicting Treatment Response To Mandibular Advancement Splints: A Novel Biomechanical Imaging Method
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,062.00
Summary
Mandibular advancement splints are an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure for patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). However, they are effective for only about half of OSA patients, and it is not currently possible to predict who will benefit. This project will explore a new magnetic resonance imaging method to see if it can predict who will respond to mandibular advancement splint therapy.
Is Asthma In The Elderly A Disease Of The Peripheral Airways?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$502,437.00
Summary
Elderly asthmatics have poorer clinical outcomes compared with younger asthmatics. The reasons for this are unclear but may involve age-related changes in the disease itself. In this project we aim to show that asthma in the elderly is dominated by abnormalities of very small peripheral airways, in contrast to younger patients where the abnormalities occur in larger airways. The results will provide the basis for new and better targeted treatment strategies for asthma in the elderly.
How Do Thick Airway Walls Affect Airway Hyperresponsiveness In Asthma?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,538.00
Summary
Asthmatic airways narrow too easily, a characteristic called airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). To understand the cause of asthma we need to understand the cause of AHR. Thickened airway walls could amplify airway narrowing and increase AHR. However, thick airway walls are also stiff, and stiff walls could reduce narrowing and AHR. This project will examine the relationships between AHR and airway wall thickness and stiffness during and after treatment that reduces airway wall thickness.
Does The Pattern Of Ventilation Distribution Predict Airway Hyperresponsiveness?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$256,973.00
Summary
The tendency for airways to narrow too easily when stimulated is called airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). AHR is an important feature of asthma, but it also occurs in other diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - an airway disease caused by smoking, and cystic fibrosis. People who have AHR have more severe respiratory disease, regardless of which disease they have, and are more likely to develop poor lung function in old age and to be hospitalised or die from their disea ....The tendency for airways to narrow too easily when stimulated is called airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). AHR is an important feature of asthma, but it also occurs in other diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - an airway disease caused by smoking, and cystic fibrosis. People who have AHR have more severe respiratory disease, regardless of which disease they have, and are more likely to develop poor lung function in old age and to be hospitalised or die from their disease. If we can understand the causes of AHR we will have a better understanding of why some people with respiratory disease have poor outcomes. We have recently discovered that, in asthma, there is a very close relationship between AHR and the uneven distribution of air within the lungs. We believe that structural changes in the airways that cause this uneven distribution make the airways prone to AHR. This raises the possibility that factors that cause uneven ventilation in other respiratory diseases might also predispose the airways to AHR. If this is true, it suggests that there is a single physiological basis for AHR in a range of different diseases, and would allow us to focus research more closely on the causes of uneven ventilation. In this project we will measure the relationship between AHR and uneven ventilation in people with asthma, COPD or cystic fibrosis. The study is important because older people with asthma, particularly those with permanently narrowed airways, are likely to have more structural changes in their airways than young asthmatics, whereas people with COPD and cystic fibrosis have a different pattern of both structural changes and airway inflammation from that in asthma. The study will tell us whether there is a consistent relationship between AHR and uneven ventilation. If so, this would be extremely strong evidence that the factors that cause uneven ventilation contribute to AHR, and will point the way to studies of new treatments.Read moreRead less
Novel Neuromechanical Measurements Of The Human Upper Airway In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$543,728.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition, in which the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing the oxygen concentration in the blood to drop, carbon dioxide to rise, and the person to arouse in order to re-establish adequate oxygen supply. Consequences of OSA include increased daytime sleepiness, increased risk of accidents, and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It most commonly affects middle-aged males, but is also seen in the broader population. OSA is asso ....Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition, in which the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing the oxygen concentration in the blood to drop, carbon dioxide to rise, and the person to arouse in order to re-establish adequate oxygen supply. Consequences of OSA include increased daytime sleepiness, increased risk of accidents, and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It most commonly affects middle-aged males, but is also seen in the broader population. OSA is associated with obesity and specific shapes of the upper airway and facial structure. These anatomical factors can be compensated for while awake but inadequate activity of the muscles surrounding the upper airway during sleep contributes to an increased predisposition of the airway to collapse. Airway collapse occurs when the muscles are unable to withstand the low pressures in the airway and collapse, obstructing the airway. This project will measure the stiffness and motion of the muscles surrounding the airway, in healthy people and those with OSA, to determine how these influence airway collapsibility. We will use two novel non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques, MR Elastography, and MR tagging which will allow us to quantify the airway stiffness, or elasticity, and its motion (deformation). These will be the first direct measurements of the upper airway elasticity and deformation in humans. We will also measure how various treatments, such as CPAP therapy and mandibular advancement affect airway elasticity and deformation, so that their mechanisms can be better understood. This may also explain why some patients do not benefit from these therapies. These studies may lead to new diagnostic and treatment modalities, as well as gaining important insights into the basic mechanisms of airway collapse in humans.Read moreRead less
Identification Of Brain Regions Involved In The Regulation Of Coughing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,146.00
Summary
Cough is a symptom of more than 100 clinical conditions of the respiratory system, and is the most common reason that people seek medical advice. However, currently available cough suppresant drugs are at best only modestly effective at treating cough disorders. In this study we aim to better understand how the brain regulates coughing in the hope to identify new therapeutic targets for relieving cough.