Purpose

The study design is a randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the hypothesis that arousal threshold (ArTH) will affect how individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 10/hour of higher) respond to CPAP therapy regarding adherence and cognitive function (executive function). Investigators hypothesize that raising ArTH with eszopiclone will improve adherence to CPAP and neurocognitive function with CPAP therapy. Investigators also hypothesize that a lower baseline ArTH is associated with worse CPAP adherence, while a higher baseline ArTH is associated with improved neurocognitive outcomes with CPAP therapy.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Able to provide informed consent. - Clinically confirmed new diagnosis of OSA: 1. Polysomnography AHI ≥ 10 per hour of sleep and/or 2. Home sleep apnea testing, respiratory even index, REI ≥ 10 per hour of recording

Exclusion Criteria

  • Known non-OSA related conditions associated with sleep-disordered breathing (e.g., a central disorder of hypersomnolence, neurological, neuromuscular, or pulmonary disorder) - Use of sleep-inducing medications (e.g., other non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic-drugs [e.g., zoldpidem], benzodiazepines, non-selective antihistamines, trazodone, opiates, barbituates) - Known hypersensitivity reaction to eszopiclone - Contraindications to its use based on medical history or function (e.g., dizziness at baseline or established mobility problems or imbalance) - History of complex sleep behaviors (e.g., NREM or REM parasomnias) - Concomitant use of ≥ 2 servings of alcohol per night or other CNS depressant for 2 weeks prior or throughout the study - Sleep opportunity of less than 7 hours - Severe active depression or other mental health disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorder). - History of sleep-walking, sleep-driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake - History of motor vehicle accidents related to sleepiness and/or motor vehicle "near misses" (e.g. sleepiness during driving or lane changes) - Severe hepatic impairment (liver function tests 2 X the upper limit of normal) - Unstable medical condition (e.g., decompensated heart failure, end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, end-stage renal disease) - Females of childbearing potential who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or intend to become pregnant, and women who are in the process of egg donation .

Study Design

Phase
Phase 3
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial with 3 month follow up.
Primary Purpose
Basic Science
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Eszopiclone
Participants will receive eszopiclone the night of the laboratory split-night polysomnography (PSG, sleep monitoring with and without CPAP therapy). Following polysomnography, participants continue with eszopiclone and CPAP therapy
  • Drug: Eszopiclone
    3mg for < 65 and 2mg for ≥ 65 years
Placebo Comparator
Placebo
Participants will receive placebo the night of the laboratory split-night polysomnography (PSG, sleep monitoring with and without CPAP therapy). Following polysomnography, participants continue with placebo and CPAP therapy
  • Drug: Placebo
    Matched placebo

Recruiting Locations

Yale Centers for Sleep Medicine
North Haven, Connecticut 06347

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Yale University

Study Contact

Andrey Zinchuk, MD, MHS
475-655-6199
andrey.zinchuk@yale.edu

Detailed Description

Primary Objective The primary objective of this study is to determine whether raising arousal threshold (ArTH) in OSA will improve response to CPAP therapy in people with OSA, where response includes factors such as adherence, change in executive function (Flanker Inhibitory Control test) and cardiovascular function (flow mediated vasodilatation, an exploratory outcome). Secondary Objective The secondary objective[s] of this study are to understand the mechanisms by which raising ArTH may improve adherence to CPAP, neurocognitive and cardiovascular function. The mechanisms investigated include sleep duration, depth, CPAP level and tolerance, hypoxia, patient symptoms, biomarkers of neuronal damage, oxidative stress and sympathetic activation.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.