Sleep and thinking problems after COVID in Veterans
Official title: Predictors of Post-COVID Clinical and Cognitive Consequences
Funded at John D Dingell VA Medical Center · NIH-11489893 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether sleep problems and sleep apnea are linked to lasting memory and thinking issues in Veterans who had COVID.
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 | December 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I21RX004396-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11489893 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans who previously had acute COVID-19 and now have ongoing sleep disturbances, suspected or diagnosed sleep apnea, or concerns about memory and thinking, and who can provide records and attend testing at the VA.
✕Less likely to help
People who never had COVID, who have no sleep or cognitive complaints, or who cannot attend visits at the Detroit VA are unlikely to be eligible or benefit from this effort.
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran who recovered from COVID, researchers will review your medical records and ask about sleep, breathing during sleep, and ongoing thinking or memory problems. You may be asked to complete sleep questionnaires, cognitive tests, and possibly undergo or share results from sleep studies such as home sleep testing or in-lab polysomnography. The team will combine past (retrospective) records with new (prospective) data to examine whether poor sleep or more severe sleep apnea is associated with worse cognitive function after COVID. The findings could point toward treating sleep problems as a way to help cognitive recovery after infection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If a link is found, treating sleep disturbances or sleep apnea might help reduce long-term memory and thinking problems after COVID.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have connected sleep apnea to cognitive decline in older adults, but studying this relationship specifically in people after COVID is relatively new and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
John D Dingell VA Medical Center
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chowdhuri, Susmita — John D Dingell VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Chowdhuri, Susmita
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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.