Treating sleep apnea by targeting throat collapse, unstable breathing, and nighttime wakefulness
Upper airway collapsibility, loop gain and arousal threshold: an integrative therapeutic approach to obstructive sleep apnea
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · NIH-11187081
This project looks at whether palate surgery plus medicines that stabilize breathing or reduce nighttime waking can help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11187081 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, you will be one of 150 adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea who cannot use positive airway pressure and who are scheduled for drug-induced sleep endoscopy and soft-palate repositioning surgery. You will have overnight sleep studies (polysomnograms) before surgery and six months after to measure sleep apnea and airway closing pressure. The team will use a computer algorithm to break down the breathing problem into mechanistic traits and identify who benefits from the surgery. About 90 people whose sleep apnea remains after surgery will enter a randomized crossover phase taking acetazolamide for one month and acetazolamide plus eszopiclone for one month, with sleep studies after each treatment to see if the drugs improve the remaining problem.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate positive airway pressure and who are candidates for soft-palate tissue-repositioning surgery are ideal for this project.
Not a fit: People with mild sleep apnea, those who can use CPAP effectively, or patients whose airway obstruction is not primarily due to the soft palate may not benefit from these interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to personalized combinations of surgery and targeted medicines that better control sleep apnea for people who cannot use CPAP.
How similar studies have performed: Individual components—palate surgery, acetazolamide to lower breathing instability, and sedatives to raise arousal threshold—have shown benefit in prior work, but combining surgery with endotype-directed drug therapy is a newer approach with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KEZIRIAN, ERIC JAMES — UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- Study coordinator: KEZIRIAN, ERIC JAMES
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 below.