Central sleep apnea: how combined therapies could help you breathe better
Official title: Central Sleep Apnea: Physiologic Mechanisms to Inform Treatment
Funded at John D Dingell VA Medical Center · NIH-11516980 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant explores how a combination of therapies, including a breathing device and a drug, might reduce central sleep apnea for people with heart failure or opioid use, by targeting the body’s breathing control system.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | John D Dingell VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2020 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX001944-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11516980 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with central sleep apnea, particularly those with heart failure or opioid use, who are able to use PAP therapy and participate in research procedures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose central sleep apnea does not respond to the proposed multi-modality approach or who cannot tolerate PAP therapy may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
If you have central sleep apnea, this research looks at how different parts of your breathing system work together and whether using two or more treatments at once could improve breathing during sleep. The project plans to test combinations like PAP therapy with a medication to reduce breathing irregularities and another medication to boost breathing drive, aiming for more reliable sleep and fewer awakenings. Researchers will enroll people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or those using opioids, and they’ll balance groups to compare effects across these conditions. The work focuses on practical, clinically relevant approaches that could be used alongside standard care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better, more reliable treatment options for central sleep apnea that work in real-world settings.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies suggest multi-modality strategies can influence breathing during sleep, but this project tests a specific combination tailored to CSA.
Where this research is happening
-
John D Dingell VA Medical Center
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Badr, M.safwan — John D Dingell VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Badr, M.safwan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.