In the News
July 20, 2004
Contact: Liz Beckett, (520) 626-5954
or Jamie Goodwin (520) 626-5001
UA's Arizona Respiratory Center Research Study to Evaluate Treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Seeks Participants
More than 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Common symptoms of this sleep disorder include loud snoring, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, and choking or gasping noises during sleep. Additionally, individuals with OSA often have a hard time concentrating, experience reduced memory, and have greater difficulty learning new tasks.
Researchers at the University of Arizona's Arizona Respiratory Center are seeking participants for a research study examining the effectiveness of a treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Eligible participants include individuals who have been recently diagnosed with OSA or have the symptoms of the disorder, but have not yet been treated for the disorder. Participants must be at least 18 years old and be willing and available to participate in the study for seven months.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment of OSA. This therapy requires sleeping with a mask, which is worn over the nose and connected to a machine through a flexible hose. The CPAP machine produces heated and humidified air, which is blown gently into the back of the throat. This air holds the throat open during sleep, so the individual can breathe normally.
The Arizona Respiratory Center is one of five sleep disorder centers nationwide participating in the Apnea Positive Pressure Long-term Efficacy Study (APPLES) which is designed to measure the effectiveness of CPAP treatment for OSA. The study is funded by a $14.1 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A total of 1100 subjects will be enrolled at five clinical centers.
"The study was inspired by the fact that sleep-disordered breathing is increasingly recognized within the general population, yet the therapeutic effectiveness of the first-line therapy, CPAP, has not be systematically investigated," says Jamie Goodwin , Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor at the Arizona Respiratory Center. The APPLES study focuses on how CPAP affects memory, learning, and the performance of mental tasks, as well as evaluation of sleepiness, mood, and quality of life.
Recruitment of study participants is ongoing. People interested in participating in the APPLES study should call Chuck Wynstra at (520) 626-7104. The benefits for participating in this study include a free personal sleep evaluation and the opportunity to learn more about OSA and how it affects memory, learning and performance of mental tasks. Participants will be compensated for their time and effort in completion of this study.
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EDITORS NOTE: The Arizona Respiratory Center was designated the first Center of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine 1971. Today, the internationally known Center combines the highest caliber of research, clinical care and teaching. The Center is recognized as one of the top institutions for respiratory care.
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