SVD and Sleep Apnea Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Brain Changes in Sleep Apnea Study
IRAS ID
233766
Contact name
Jo-Anne Robertson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
Sleep disorders like snoring, are common and cause daytime sleepiness. Severe sleep disorders can lead to lack of oxygen (sleep apnea) and raised blood pressure, can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and of developing brain damage which can be seen on scanning, called ‘small vessel disease’. “Small vessel disease’ also increases the risk of stroke and dementia. Some recent laboratory and patient studies suggest that sleep disorders and ‘small vessel disease’ are linked since both may affect the drainage of waste products from the brain that keeps the brain healthy.
Sleep disorders such as apnea are usually treated by wearing a special mask at night that helps to hold the air passages open to prevent snoring and apnea. This is called Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy (CPAP). This study aims to assess whether treatment for sleep apnea using a special breathing mask may reduce the visible damage in the brain due to small vessel disease and improve the function of the blood vessels in the brain.
We will recruit 40 patients with sleep apnea in Edinburgh (to combine with 40 patients being recruited in Toronto). The patients will be asked questions about sleep patterns, medical history, smoking, exercise, thinking skills and memory. Then the patients will wear small portable watch-like machines at home for a week to measure blood pressure, activity and sleep quality, then have a magnetic resonance brain scan to show how well the blood vessels work, and a blood sample taken. Then the patients will start treatment for the sleep apnea using CPAP according to current guidelines. After four months, we will repeat the tests to see if the brain scan, cognitive tests or general health have changed. This study will tell us more about sleep, brain health and prevention of stroke and dementia.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
17/WS/0198
Date of REC Opinion
26 Sep 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion