Understanding breathing problems during sleep in opioid users
Official title: The Impact of Sleep Disordered Breathing in People who use Opioids
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-10875430 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how sleep problems related to breathing affect people who are taking opioid medications, and it aims to find better ways to help them sleep and breathe easier at night.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $169,893 |
| NIH project number | 5K23HL151880-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10875430 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who are currently using opioid medications and experiencing breathing difficulties during sleep.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not use opioids or do not have sleep disordered breathing may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how sleep disordered breathing affects individuals who are using opioid medications. It aims to identify the specific breathing issues that arise during sleep in these patients and develop effective treatment strategies to improve their overall health. The study will involve patient-oriented clinical research and clinical trials, guided by a team of experts in pulmonology and sleep medicine. Participants may undergo assessments to measure their breathing patterns and responses to various interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment options for patients using opioids who experience sleep disordered breathing.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding and treating sleep disordered breathing, but this specific focus on opioid users is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Orr, Jeremy Elliot — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Orr, Jeremy Elliot
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding and targeting negative effort dependence in sleep apnea
A doctor-scientist team is studying how breathing effort changes within breaths in sleep apnea to find better ways to prevent airway collapse.
-
Night-to-night sleep-disordered breathing differences in women and men
A study to find better biomarkers for sleep apnea severity, especially in women, by monitoring people at home for a week and tracking daily mood and energy.
-
Serotonin-containing brain cells that help breathing when opioids are used
Aims to understand how certain brain serotonin cells can reduce opioid-related sleep breathing problems while keeping pain relief.
-
Sleep factors in obesity and diabetes linked to dementia risk in Look AHEAD participants
This study looks at how sleep problems and daily activity rhythms relate to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes who were part of the Look AHEAD trial.
-
Melanocortin-4 receptor drugs to help sleep apnea in obesity
A study tests MC4R-activating drugs to help people with obesity-related sleep-disordered breathing who struggle with current treatments.
-
Serotonin brain circuits to support breathing during opioids and sleep problems
This grant investigates how specific serotonin-producing brain cells can help keep breathing and airway muscles working when people take opioids and have sleep-disordered breathing, without affecting pain relief.
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.