Atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin therapy (AtoOxy) has been shown to substantially reduce obstructive sleep apnea severity (OSA) in about half of patients. Here, the investigators will study which patients respond meaningfully to therapy using pathophysiological traits measured at baseline sleep studies.
The primary goal of the current study is to test the central hypothesis that therapeutic efficacy of AtoOxy depends on underlying patient pathophysiology. Aim 1 - Advanced analysis of clinical polysomnography will be used to estimate the OSA traits and classify patients as 'predicted responders' or 'predicted nonresponders'. Investigators will prospectively test whether AtoOxy efficacy is greater in predicted responders. Aim 2 - Pooling preliminary and prospective data, investigators will test the hypotheses that the following pathophysiological traits are associated with, and therefore predict, greater efficacy: less-severe upper airway collapsibility (less improvement needed to re-establish airflow), lower loop gain (less severe ventilatory control instability), higher arousal threshold (greater scope for muscle activation without arousal), and greater upper airway muscle compensation (functional muscle reflex apparatus). Aim 3 - Investigators will test the hypothesis that treatment efficacy will be greater in patients with tongue-related upper airway obstruction per previous drug-induced sleep endoscopy results (anterior-posterior collapse patterns).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
22
Treatment given for 3 nights
Treatment given for 3 nights
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
RECRUITINGApnea-hypopnea index (AHI)
Apneas and hypopneas per hour (3% desat and/or arousal), % change from baseline
Time frame: 3 days
Hypoxic Burden
Desaturation area under curve × event frequency
Time frame: 3 days
Arousal Index
Number of arousals per hour (\>=3-sec), % change from baseline
Time frame: 3 days
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