Projects

The NAPS Consortium is enrolling participants with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), in order to form a trial-ready cohort for future neuroprotective treatment clinical trials. Washington University is the lead site for the 10 NAPS Consortium sites in the US and Canada. Please visit the NAPS Consortium website for additional details.

The goal of this study is to develop sleep and EEG (brain wave) biomarkers of early Alzheimer Disease, to use for non-invasive screening, even prior to cognitive symptoms.

We are actively enrolling participants at least 65 years of age, who have normal memory or mild problems with memory. The study involves memory tests, sleep studies at home and at the Washington University medical campus, and a lumbar puncture. Participants will be reimbursed for their time and effort.

[In collaboration with Miranda Lim MD PhD]

This study showed that

1. Obstructive sleep apnea appears to reduce clearance of brain waste products including amyloid-beta,
2. Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea seems to normalize the relationship between amyloid-beta and sleep quality, and
3. Slow wave sleep disruption specifically results in an increase in amyloid-beta levels in the cerebrospinal fluid.

This study has completed enrollment, but CSF, polysomnography, EEG, and other data and biospecimens are available for further analysis.

There is a bi-directional relationship between sleep/circadian dysfunction and Alzheimer Disease pathology. In this study, we will tease apart this chicken-and-egg relationship by re-measuring sleep in individuals who participated in the Knight ADRC Actigraphy Wave 1 study in 2010-2012. Contact sleepstudy@wustl.edu or call us if you are interested in participating.

[In collaboration with David Holtzman MD, Erik Musiek MD PhD]

205 cognitively-normal participants from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center had actigraphy measurement of their sleep and circadian rhythms. This study was the first to show that individuals with preclinical Alzheimer Disease (brain changes but without cognitive symptoms) have worse sleep quality as well as irregular circadian activity rhythms.

[In collaboration with David Holtzman MD]

PI Bettina Mittendorfer PhD

This study uses deep metabolic phenotyping to determine tissues and mechanisms responsible for abnormal glucose metabolism in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea.

PI Ben Palanca MD PhD

This study examines sleep EEG predictors of delirium in the postoperative period.

PI Ellen Lockhart MD

This study will assess the effect of obstructive sleep apnea in pregnant women on fetal growth restriction.

PI Michael Avidan MBBCh FCA SA

This study examined the effect of obstructive sleep apnea and its treatment with CPAP on postoperative delirium.

PI Alfred Kim MD PhD

SLEEPS is a prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort enrolling patients with Lupus followed at the Lupus Clinic at Washington University.

Theme 3 Leaders: Sarah England PhD, Erik Herzog PhD, Emily Jungheim MD MSCI, Justin Fay

Does the disruption of maternal sleep/wake patterns contribute to preterm birth?