Sleep-Related Clinical Trials
Help Advance the Understanding of Sleep and New Treatments for Sleep Disorders
Clinical trials are carefully controlled research studies in which people volunteer to test the safety and effectiveness of new drugs, medical products or techniques. Each study gathers scientific evidence to find better ways to prevent, diagnose or treat medical conditions. In the U.S., all drugs undergo rigorous clinical trials before being approved for use by the general public.
Clinical trials are an integral part of medicines and devices getting approved for use. In addition, many people enrolled in clinical trials have been helped as a result of having access to leading-edge care they otherwise would not have had. Quite often the first people to have been helped by a medication or medical device are people who were part of its clinical trial.
Clinical Trials at the Sleep Therapy & Research Center
At the Sleep Therapy & Research Center, we have been one of the only research centers for sleep disorders in San Antonio since 2006. We have conducted numerous clinical trials over the years and helped companies launch drugs and products that have subsequently improved the health and lives of thousands of patients suffering from sleep disorders.
If you are interested in enrolling in a clinical trial, sign up now. One of our staff will contact you to let you know if you meet the qualifications for participating in one of our studies.
Sleep-Related Clinical Trials – Clinical trials are currently being conducted by the Sleep Therapy & Research Center and are open for enrollment: TO SIGN UP GO TO: Sleep-Research.com
Clinical Research Coordinators
Laleitha at 726-444-5230
Skyler at 726-444-5231
Current Clinical Trial Areas
(Click Condition for Info and Potential Enrollment – linked to Sleep-Research.com)
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a lifelong neurologic disorder that is characterized by the inability to control normal sleep-wake cycles. Individuals with narcolepsy feel overwhelmingly tired, and in some cases, can have sudden episodes of muscle weakness. (AASM – sleepeducation.org)
Sleep Apnea
There are different types of sleep apnea, including central sleep apnea, and obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. It is a common and serious sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing during sleep. If you have sleep apnea, your airway becomes blocked repeatedly during sleep. The amount of air reaching your lungs is limited. When this happens, you may snore loudly or make choking noises. Your brain and body become oxygen-deprived and you may wake up. This may happen a few times a night, or in more severe cases, several hundred times a night.
In many cases, apnea, or a short pause in breathing, is caused by the tissue in the back of the throat collapsing. The muscles of the upper airway relax when you fall asleep. If you sleep on your back, gravity can cause the tongue to fall back. This narrows the airway, which reduces the amount of air that can reach your lungs. The narrowed airway causes snoring by making the tissue in the back of the throat vibrate as you breathe.
If you feel tired or unrefreshed after waking up even though you have had a full night of sleep, it may be due to sleep apnea. During the day, you may feel fatigued, have difficulty concentrating or may even unintentionally fall asleep. This is because your body is waking up numerous times during the night, even though you might not be conscious of each awakening.
The lack of oxygen your body receives can have a negative impact on your health. This includes:
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- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Pre-diabetes and diabetes
- Depression
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There are many people with sleep apnea who have not been diagnosed or received treatment. Your medical provider can diagnose sleep apnea using a sleep study in a sleep lab or at home. There are several treatments to help you manage sleep apnea. (AASM – sleepeducation.org)
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint. It occurs when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep even though you had the opportunity to get a full night of sleep. The causes, symptoms and severity of insomnia vary from person to person. Insomnia may include:
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- Difficulty falling asleep
- Difficulty staying asleep throughout the night
- Waking up too early in the morning
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Insomnia involves both a sleep disturbance and daytime symptoms. The effects of insomnia can impact nearly every aspect of your life. Studies show that insomnia negatively affects work performance, impairs decision-making, and can damage relationships. Insomnia can affect your mood and make other medical conditions more difficult to manage. In most cases, people with insomnia report a worse overall quality of life.
Everyone has the occasional night of poor sleep. This does not mean you have insomnia. In many cases, it means you may have stayed up too late, gotten up too early or woken up in the middle of the night. Stress is a common cause of a night of poor sleep.
As many as 35 percent of adults complain of insomnia. It is more common in groups such as older adults, women, people under stress, and people with certain medical and mental health problems such as depression. (AASM – sleepeducation.org)
Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is an uncommon sleep disorder that is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness despite adequate quantity and normal quality of sleep at night.
If you have IH, you may sleep longer at night than the average person and may struggle to wake up. Once awake, you may seem confused or drunk (aka “sleep drunkenness”). You may take daytime naps that are several hours long and are often not refreshing. Your intense sleepiness often persists without need or cause and may be dangerous when you operate a vehicle or work equipment. (AASM – sleepeducation.org)
Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSP) is a circadian rhythm disorder. It consists of a typical sleep pattern that is “delayed” by two or more hours from societal norms. This delay occurs when your internal sleep clock (circadian rhythm) is shifted later at night and later in the morning.
Symptoms of DSWP include:
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- A delayed sleep pattern in relation to desired sleep and wake times
- Trouble falling asleep at the desired bedtime
- Inability to wake up in the morning
- Normal duration and quality of sleep when there is no need to go to sleep or wake up at a specific time
- A stable but delayed sleep pattern for at least seven days
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