A Novel Pharmacological Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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Description

Aim 1 - Effect of AtoOxy on sleep apnea severity. In a randomized controlled double-blind crossover study, 48 patients with moderate-to-severe OSA will take atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin ("AtoOxy") versus placebo nightly for 1 month, with a 2-week washout in between. The investigators will test the hy...

Aim 1 - Effect of AtoOxy on sleep apnea severity. In a randomized controlled double-blind crossover study, 48 patients with moderate-to-severe OSA will take atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin ("AtoOxy") versus placebo nightly for 1 month, with a 2-week washout in between. The investigators will test the hypothesis that AtoOxy reduces the Apnea-hypopnea index (primary outcome measure), and improves the following secondary outcomes: Nocturnal oxygenation, per "hypoxic burden of sleep apnea" Frequency of arousals from sleep (Arousal index) Self-reported sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) Disease-specific quality of life (Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire, Short Form). Disease-specific quality of life (Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index, Short Form) Additional pre-specified exploratory outcome measures will be assessed, including Visual Analog Scales (Sleep Quality, Treatment Satisfaction) and additional polysomnographic measures of sleep (Stage 1 sleep, %total sleep time). Adherence and adverse events will also be carefully monitored to assess repeated-dose tolerance of the intervention. Aim 2 - Determine which patient phenotypes respond best to AtoOxy. Patients will also take part in an additional night before initiating study medication to measure the key mechanisms causing OSA. The investigators will prospectively test the hypothesis that greater pharyngeal collapsibility determines a reduced response to therapy. They will also separately test the hypotheses that a reduced muscle responsiveness, reduced baseline muscle activation, a higher arousal threshold, and a lower loop gain will facilitate a greater response to therapy.

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