Active clinical trials for "Sleep Apnea Syndromes"

Hyo-mandibular suspension has been previously studied as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and has shown to be highly effective. This is a prospective, multi-center, registry during which 30 subjects with OSA will be considered for hyo-mandubular suspension treatment. After obtaining informed consent and meeting all inclusions and exclusion criteria, subjects will be treated using the Encore System. Subject follow-up with the physician or nurse will occur at one (1) week, one (1) month, three (3) months, and twelve (12) months. This study will assess the effectiveness of hyoid suspension in reducing the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and improving the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), snoring (VAS) and functional outcome (FOSQ) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In addition, the study will evaluate the effect that the change in hyoid position has on the airway anatomy.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by intermittent nocturnal hypoxemia, frequent arousals, fragmented sleep and daytime sleepiness. It has been shown to increase the risk of cardiac and vascular disease through multiple mechanisms including sympathetic hyperactivity, metabolic dysregulation, and activation of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in the working age group, affecting 93 million people worldwide. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a sight threatening complication and the most common cause of visual loss in patients with diabetes. OSA is frequently associated with diabetes with prevalence ranging from 23 to 86%. However, the relationship between OSA and DME is not well defined. The retina is especially susceptible to hypoxia, being one of the most metabolically active tissues. Many of the same inflammatory mediators have also been found to be elevated in patients with diabetic macular edema, including VEGF, VCAM-1 and IL-6. There has been no previous study examining the biochemical impact of OSA on patients with DME. We aim to explore this relationship by examining the differences in inflammatory markers expressed in patients with DME who have undergone an overnight sleep study, which is considered the gold standard diagnostic tool in OSA.

Although most patients have essential (unexplained) hypertension, some patients have a treatable underlying condition. One such condition is phaeochromocytoma, a tumour that produces excessive stress hormones. Left undiagnosed, patients may develop a hypertensive crisis that can be fatal. Measurements of stress hormones (both 24-hour urine collection and morning blood tests) are highly sensitive for detecting these tumours. However, these stress hormones may also be elevated in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) which affects 1 in 5 adults. The investigators hypothesize that in patients with OSA, blood tests will be better than 24-hr urine tests at ruling out a tumour. If this is confirmed, then OSA patients with suspected phaeochromocytoma could be investigated with a morning blood test instead of a traditional urine test, reducing unnecessary additional tests and patient anxiety. In this single site study, the investigators plan to recruit 70 patients undergoing polysomnography. 24hr urine and bloods will be measured. Patients with elevated hormone levels will undergo imaging to rule out a tumour. The primary outcome will be the accuracy of each test in ruling out a tumour. The secondary outcomes will be the relationship between stress hormone level and severity of OSA, which may help to explain the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with OSA, and the change in stress hormone level with treatment for OSA

The aim of the study is to determine whether selenoprotein activity and blood renalase level correlate with subclinical hypertensive heart disease and obstructive sleep apnea. The correlation will be assessed using selected electrocardiographic, ultrasound and laboratory indicators.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and patent foramen ovale (FOP) are considered as risk factors for stroke. OSAS generates a pressure increase in the right cavity during inspiratory efforts, which increases the number of right-left shunt embolus and therefore the risk of stroke. OSA and FOP are often thought as two separate entities, however, due to their high frequencies, they sometimes coexist and can influence the pathophysiology of each other. More researches are needed in this area to confirm this complex association and its role in triggering stroke.

CBCT is considered an innovative imaging modality that can view the upper respiratory airway anatomy in a 3D manner. Recent studies tried to evaluate the accuracy of CBCT in analyzing the upper respiratory airway and its related structures. Although, most of these studies aimed to evaluate the 3D imaging of upper respiratory airway in OSA patients and their healthy counterparts, the determination of its level of collapse with the aid of CBCT wasn't clearly evaluated. DISE is considered a dynamic approach to determine the level of upper respiratory airway collapse accurately, but CBCT can offer better evaluation of anatomical upper respiratory airway characteristics and morphology which in turn affects treatment planning and patients' satisfaction after surgery. The hypothesis is agreed with other studies who found that retroglossal collapse appears more frequently during the end of expiration imaged by dynamic MRI. Our hypothesis is the validity of CBCT in determining the level of collapse through assessing different orthogonal planes at end of inspiration and expiration especially in those patients having a tongue/palate interaction or lengthy palate where this anatomical variation wasn't been probably evaluated with DISE.

Shared decision-making helps patients to establish a treatment plan with clinicians together. Our goal was to determine if the tools we developed could reduced decisional conflict for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep breathing disorder in the general population in which recurrent collapse of the upper airway occurs during sleep. OSA is more prevalent in subjects with stroke and is associated with a 3 fold increased risk of stroke. This makes it a serious public health problem. Approximately 50% of subjects with OSA are asymptomatic and are often only detected following investigation for the cause of heart disease or a stroke. In subjects who are treated for OSA many are intolerant or poorly compliant with treatment. Therefore, the identification of those subjects with OSA most at risk of adverse consequences such as stroke is important, so that treatment compliance can be improved. Therfore, the investigators want to determine if compared to subjects without OSA, subjects with OSA have evidence of increased stroke risk by assessment of changes in cerebral blood flow (cerebrovascular reactivity) as measured on Doppler ultrasound of the middle cerebral artery (TCD) and blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging of patterns of cerebral blood flow (BOLD MRI) to two stimuli. These stimuli include increased carbon dioxide concentrations (causes increased cerebral blood flow) and reduced oxygen concentrations (causing decreased cerebral blood flow). In order to deliver these stimuli the investigators will use a special machine (RespiractTM) which allows for the precise control of carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations in the lungs and blood. The precise control of carbon dioxide and oxygen in conjunction with BOLD MRI has enabled the production of detailed maps of the brain that identify areas of healthy and abnormal blood supply.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a multi-component disease. This study will test the hypotheses that hypoxia per se modulates gene expression in animal model of sleep apnea and these results may be translated with alterations that occur in apneic patients. Thus, we aim to integrate basic and clinical research to shed light on novel candidate genes involved in sleep apnea.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of sound analysis for: a) sleep apnea detection both during wakefulness and sleep, and b) flow-sound relationship during both wakefulness and sleep in patients and control individuals. The ultimate goal of our research is to simplify the current assessments for sleep apnea detection so that it is more convenient for patients and also much faster than the current techniques.