Finding sleep patterns in severe sleep apnea before and after treatment

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What is this trial?

This research study is looking for a biological marker—a measurable sign in your brain activity—that could help doctors better understand and predict excessive daytime sleepiness in people with severe obstructive sleep apnea. You would wear a small, subcutaneous EEG device (a thin electrode placed just under your skin) that records your brain waves continuously for 6 weeks before you start CPAP treatment (a common breathing machine) and then for 6 weeks after treatment begins. The study aims to detect moments when your brain is drifting into sleep during the day, even if you don't realize it's happening, and to see how your brain patterns improve with treatment.

Severe sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that dramatically affects quality of life, work ability, and safety, but doctors don't have a reliable way to measure this sleepiness objectively. This study exists to find a biological marker in brain activity that could help predict who will benefit most from treatment and track how well treatment is working.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are 18 years old or older
you have been diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea (AHI greater than 30) and have not yet started CPAP or similar breathing treatment
you have an Epworth Sleepiness Score above 10, indicating significant daytime sleepiness

You likely don't qualify if…

you have serious neurological or psychiatric conditions
you have heart failure, kidney failure, liver disease, cancer, or severe lung disease
you have a cochlear implant or other electrical medical device that could interfere with the brain-monitoring electrode
you have a job or hobby involving extreme pressure changes (such as diving) or high trauma risk (such as contact sports)
you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 12 months

What participation looks like

You would have a small EEG electrode placed under your skin, then wear the monitoring device for 6 weeks while continuing your normal daily life—this captures your brain activity around the clock, including daytime naps or sleep lapses. After 6 weeks, you would start CPAP treatment (a mask and machine that gently blows air to keep your airway open while you sleep). You would then continue wearing the monitoring device for another 6 weeks while using CPAP to see how your brain's sleep patterns improve with treatment. Throughout the study, researchers will be tracking when you slip into sleep during the day and comparing your brain activity before and after treatment begins.

Finding sleep patterns in severe sleep apnea before and after treatment

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)