CPAP-PD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) Improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) with Sleep Apnoea?
IRAS ID
285370
Contact name
Renata Riha
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes breathing pauses during sleep. This leads to dips in oxygen, increases inflammation in the body and can result in daytime sleepiness and fatigue, known as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Hyponoea syndrome (OSAHS). Up to 65% of all people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) suffer from OSA, however it is unusual for individuals with PD to seek treatment at sleep clinics. Undiagnosed and untreated, people with PD+OSA have worse PD symptoms and quality of life than their peers.
Lifestyle advice, also known as Best Supportive Care (BSC), can be given to help with OSAHS symptoms. The most effective treatment for OSA/OSAHS is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) at night. Previous trials investigating CPAP use for PD+OSA were short-term but suggest it not only alleviates OSA symptoms, but also improves or slows progression of PD symptoms (e.g. motor symptoms).
This study is a Randomised Control Trial of CPAP in people with PD+OSAHS. We hypothesise long-term CPAP treatment in combination with BSC for people with PD+OSAHS will be superior to BSC alone and will lead to an improvement in motor function, non-motor PD symptoms and systemic inflammation.
We will screen for OSAHS in people with PD under the care of NHS Lothian using a questionnaire. We will recruit 66 people with PD+OSAHS to the study in total. Participants will be randomised to either the Treatment group (CPAP and BSC) or the Control group (BSC alone) and will attend 4 appointments at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh over the course of 12 months. A range of PD and OSAHS symptoms will be assessed during the appointments using questionnaires, blood samples, blood pressure readings and clinical assessments. We will compare the severity and progression of PD and OSAHS measures between the groups to determine how beneficial CPAP use is.
If CPAP is effective, we will have provided evidence for a cost-effective, non-invasive treatment to improve coexistent PD and OSAHS symptoms, with great potential to improve the quality of life for people with PD+OSAHS.REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
23/NS/0061
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion