Pharyngeal Wall Folding: Role In Upper Airway Collapsibility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$217,274.00
Summary
In obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) the throat closes during sleep. In order for the throat to close the surface of the throat has to fold. Mathematical models predict that the more folds present, the more stable a structure will be. This research will examine how folding of the airway surface of the throat is achieved in subjects with and without OSA. It will also develop ways of changing the folding patterns using bench, animal and human studies. This will result in new treatments for OSA.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac rhythm disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is four times more common among patients with AF than without. OSA has been associated with a greater recurrence rate of AF after initially successful treatment of AF and treatment of OSA reduces recurrence of AF. To identify the underlying mechanisms, we aim to determine effects of OSA on atrial electrical activation and to characterize sleep apnea in AF patients in a more precise way.
Development Of An Effective Therapy For Cheyne-Stokes Breathing In Heart Failure.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,030.00
Summary
During sleep, patients with heart failure often exhibit a cyclic pattern of breathing in which a period of regular breathing alternates with a period when breathing ceases. This breathing pattern is associated with increased mortality and reduced quality of life but to date no effective treatment for it exists. We have developed a method to calculate an exact level of carbon dioxide to stabilise breathing in each individual, offering the prospect of a better night’s sleep and a longer life.
Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea And Motor Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$302,798.00
Summary
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is a major health concern, affecting at least 4% of the population, associated with obesity, and aging. The symptoms of sleep apnoea are definitively associated with cardiovascular complications. I am focused on understanding how sleep apnoea patients are remodelled with the rewiring of connections between the brain and muscles. Using neurophysiological techniques, this project will study how the anatomy and functional connections of circuits change with sleep apnoea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common complications of obesity and is independently associated with a reduced quality of life and cardiovascular disease. This project aims to identify the underlying factors linking obesity with OSA by examining how weight loss surgery can improve these factors. These important findings will contribute greatly to our understanding of OSA pathophysiology and are necessary to find better treatments for obesity-associated OSA.
It’s The Amount That Counts: The Impact Of Seven Days Of Sleep Restriction On Predictors Of Type 2 Diabetes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,269.00
Summary
The aim of this project is to examine the relationship between sleep duration (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9h per day for one week) and glucose metabolism. This will allow us to quantify the amount of harm that different levels of sleep loss cause to the physiological systems that protect people from developing serious health disorders. In particular, the results of the project will be invaluable in the design of effective behavioural interventions for the prevention and/or treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Circadian Mechanisms For Sex Differences In Shift Work Tolerance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,002.00
Summary
It is well-established that women respond more poorly than men to shift work schedules, having more health complaints, more drowsiness and more accidents at work than men. The physiological cause of this sex difference is not known. Our research suggests that differences in the circadian rhythms of women and men may promote shift work intolerance in women. This study is designed to examine sex differences in the effect of office-level light on the biological clock during a simulated night shift.
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.
Use of an animal model to understand mechanisms underlying reductions in body weight associated with use of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. At least one in ten Australians is classified as morbidly obese and as such are eligible for bariatric surgery. Those undergoing the surgery will achieve an average excess weight loss of up to 60 per cent, they will have reduced or eliminated diabetes and will appreciably improve their prospects of survival. These experiments aimed at understandin ....Use of an animal model to understand mechanisms underlying reductions in body weight associated with use of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. At least one in ten Australians is classified as morbidly obese and as such are eligible for bariatric surgery. Those undergoing the surgery will achieve an average excess weight loss of up to 60 per cent, they will have reduced or eliminated diabetes and will appreciably improve their prospects of survival. These experiments aimed at understanding the mechanisms underpinning this success have the potential to further improve surgical approaches and outcomes and provide insights that will better enable weight loss therapies for all overweight and obese Australians.Read moreRead less
Microparticles as effectors of microvascular alterations in brain inflammation. Cerebral malaria (CM) kills many children worldwide, but we do not understand why their small blood vessels in the brain become obstructed. We found that tiny elements detached from cell membranes, called microparticles (MP), are dramatically elevated in the blood during CM. Our results strongly suggest that these MP are important in CM development. We have found that some drugs block the release of MP and the stick ....Microparticles as effectors of microvascular alterations in brain inflammation. Cerebral malaria (CM) kills many children worldwide, but we do not understand why their small blood vessels in the brain become obstructed. We found that tiny elements detached from cell membranes, called microparticles (MP), are dramatically elevated in the blood during CM. Our results strongly suggest that these MP are important in CM development. We have found that some drugs block the release of MP and the stickiness of malaria parasites to blood vessels. Our project will tackle the conditions of MP production and define new drugs to prevent it. It also will explain how the brain becomes affected by high numbers of MP. Our results will cast new light on why the brain functions abnormally when its blood vessels become modified.Read moreRead less