Creating a new way to diagnose idiopathic hypersomnia using sleep patterns
Official title: Development and Validation of a Nocturnal Sleep Signature for the Diagnosis of Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11083750 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to find a new way to diagnose idiopathic hypersomnia, a condition that makes you feel really sleepy during the day, by identifying specific biological markers in your sleep patterns, so that people can get the right help more easily.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $731,511 |
| NIH project number | 5R61NS130215-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11083750 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who experience excessive daytime sleepiness and may have idiopathic hypersomnia.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not fall within the adolescent age range or who have other sleep disorders unrelated to idiopathic hypersomnia may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop and validate a new biomarker signature for diagnosing idiopathic hypersomnia (IH), a condition that causes excessive sleepiness and typically begins in adolescence. The current diagnostic method, multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT), is not effective for IH, leading to misdiagnosis and challenges in treatment. By analyzing sleep patterns, particularly during the night, the research team hopes to identify specific biological markers that can accurately reflect the presence of IH. This approach involves a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in neurophysiology and biomarker discovery, focusing on improving diagnostic accuracy for affected individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate diagnoses of idiopathic hypersomnia, allowing for better-targeted treatments and improved quality of life for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in developing biomarkers for sleep disorders, but this specific approach for idiopathic hypersomnia is novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
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Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maski, Kiran Prasad — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Maski, Kiran Prasad
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Nocturnal Sleep Signature for Diagnosing Idiopathic Hypersomnia
A study to develop an objective sleep-based biomarker to diagnose idiopathic hypersomnia in adolescents.
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Long-term test of TAK-360 in people with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia
This study tests TAK-360 over an extended period to see if it is tolerable for people with narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2, or idiopathic hypersomnia who completed an earlier TAK-360 trial.
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Expanded-dosing Xywav vs placebo in narcolepsy and IH
This study tests whether expanded nightly dosing of Xywav helps adults with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia, compared with placebo.
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Phase 3 HBS-301 for idiopathic hypersomnia
This trial will test whether the oral medicine HBS-301 helps adults with idiopathic hypersomnia reduce daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, and fatigue.
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Long-term ORX750 treatment for people with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia
This open-label extension will try continued ORX750 treatment in people with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia who completed the earlier ORX750 parent study.
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Diet changes to reduce sleepiness in narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia
This project will try whether a 12-week whole-food ketogenic diet versus an isocaloric standard whole-food diet reduces daytime sleepiness and improves quality of life in adults with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia.
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.