Why people with obstructive sleep apnea have different symptoms
Mechanisms that Account for Different Symptom Subtypes of OSA
This project uses brain-wave recordings, genetic tests, and biological markers to explain why some people with obstructive sleep apnea are very sleepy while others are not.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184385 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be helping researchers link patterns in sleep EEGs with genetic and other biological signatures to understand symptom subtypes of obstructive sleep apnea, with special attention to excessive daytime sleepiness. The team will combine new EEG metrics with existing sleep-study and genetic datasets to compare physiological responses to breathing events across people who have similar apnea severity but different symptoms. They will search for common and rare genetic variants and multi-omics signals that track with sleepiness and other symptom patterns. By tying physiology and molecular data to symptoms, the project aims to explain why people with the same apnea numbers can have different health risks.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea—especially those who experience notable daytime sleepiness and can provide sleep-study/EEG data or genetic/biological samples—would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without obstructive sleep apnea, those with central sleep apnea, or individuals unable to provide sleep or genetic data are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to tests that predict which patients are more likely to be very sleepy or to have higher cardiovascular risk and could guide more personalized treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has identified symptom subtypes and linked the sleepy subtype to higher cardiovascular risk, but combining detailed EEG physiology with genetics and multi-omics to explain symptoms is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Justice, Anne — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Justice, Anne
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.