Central sleep apnea in people taking medications for opioid use disorder
Official title: The impact of central sleep apnea in patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11172521 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether central sleep apnea in adults on methadone or buprenorphine affects sleep, mood, cravings, and staying in treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,104,408 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA059465-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11172521 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) currently receiving methadone or buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People not taking MOUD, under age 21, or whose sleep problems are purely obstructive rather than central may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you are an adult receiving medication for opioid use disorder, you may be invited to do a home sleep test to check for central sleep apnea and, if needed, a confirmatory overnight lab sleep study. Researchers will compare people with central sleep apnea to those without sleep-disordered breathing and measure sleep quality, nighttime arousals, nervous system activity, anxiety, depression, and drug craving. You will complete questionnaires, wear monitors, and be followed for about six months to track lapses and whether you stay in treatment. The goal is to link sleep findings with day-to-day symptoms and treatment outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect and treat sleep problems that may reduce cravings and improve retention in opioid treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Prior smaller studies show methadone and buprenorphine can cause central sleep apnea and sleep disruption, but linking CSA to cravings and relapse is a newer question that remains only partly tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Sanjay R — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Patel, Sanjay R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
The impact of sleep apnea on people taking opioid-use medications
This project looks at whether central sleep apnea, seen in people on opioid-use disorder meds, affects sleep and treatment outcomes.
-
How opioid use disorder medications affect sleep apnea
This study is looking at how medications for opioid use disorder might affect sleep apnea in patients, and it wants to see how sleep problems relate to sleep quality, emotional well-being, and cravings for drugs, so we can better understand how these issues might impact recovery.
-
Systems analysis to improve opioid use disorder care after jail release (SAIA-MOUD)
A program to help people with opioid use disorder get better, faster, and safer care after they leave jail.
-
Precise epigenetic drugs for opioid addiction
A tiny, targeted drug approach is being developed to help people with opioid use disorder by rewriting the epigenetic signals in the brain to reduce cravings and relapse risk.
-
Increasing Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder for Unhoused Montanans
This project helps unhoused people in Montana get life-saving medicines for opioid use disorder through clinics connected to syringe service programs, a nurse-led MOUD model, and peer support.
-
Optimizing long-acting PrEP and opioid treatment for people in jails and prisons
This project tests a real-world approach to using long-acting PrEP and buprenorphine for HIV prevention and opioid treatment among incarcerated individuals and after release.
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.