Research Sara Op de Beeck

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent respiratory sleep disorder. As it is associated with multiple comorbidities including cardio- and cerebrovascular burden, appropriate treatment is crucial. To achieve optimal treatment, both efficacy and adherence should be optimized. Endotyping OSA patients has shown promise for treatment optimization, yet gold-standard assessment is impossible in clinical practice. The site, pattern and degree of collapse is a key factor driving OSA treatment outcome. In current clinical practice, drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is used to visualize the upper airway during sedation. However, this technique does not allow site of collapse assessment during longer periods and different sleep stages. Recently, I developed a non-invasive means to assess probability of site of collapse using clinical polysomnography that could overcome this issue. Yet, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Furthermore, associations with and relative importance of this parameter compared to other non-invasive endotypes remain unclear. Therefore, I aim to 1) assess the underlying mechanistic effects underlying non-invasive site of collapse detection throughout the night to augment the novel method, 2) predict OSA treatment outcome using this method, and 3) develop a holistic model combining anatomical and non-anatomical non-invasive endotypes. As such, I aim to attain precision OSA medicine using endotype-driven instead of guideline-based treatment.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Vanderveken Olivier
• Co-promoter: Verbraecken Johan
• Fellow: Op de Beeck Sara

Research team(s)

• Translational Neurosciences (TNW)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disease, associated with several cardiovascular and cerebrovascular comorbidities. Adequate treatment is thus crucial. Based on the current guidelines, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is considered the standard OSA treatment. While CPAP efficacy is high, patient tolerance and acceptance is only moderate. In general, alternative non-CPAP treatments like mandibular advancement devices, hypoglossal nerve stimulation or pharmacotherapy are well-received, however, their efficacy is potent in some patients but incomplete in others. Efficacy of emerging therapies depends largely on the site of obstruction of the upper airway, key diagnostic information that is notoriously challenging to obtain. In current clinical practice this information is captured during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), assessing the upper airway during sedation. However, this DISE procedure still requires an additional step in the clinical path involving specialized personnel, time and equipment at the operating theatre. Therefore, I aim to 1) correlate the collapse patterns during DISE with parameters extracted from baseline clinical data in order to develop a prediction model to predict collapse patterns without the need of drug-induced sedation and 2) to apply this model to patients treated with a non-CPAP treatment. In this way, I aim to attain precision OSA medicine using endotype-driven instead of guideline-based OSA treatment.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Vanderveken Olivier
• Co-promoter: Braem Marc
• Co-promoter: Verbraecken Johan
• Fellow: Op de Beeck Sara

Research team(s)

• Translational Neurosciences (TNW)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Site, pattern and degree of upper airway collapse is correlated with different obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment outcomes. Currently, assessment requires additional, invasive endoscopy techniques. In the current research proposal I aim to non-invasively associate endoscopic outcomes with baseline overnight sleep study parameters using the technical and analytical skills from the group of Drs. Wellman and Sands at Harvard Medical School and the high quality clinical data of the Antwerp University Hospital. Combining the unique features of both groups into one research project will leverage sleep medicine in both the US and Belgium, paving the way to personalized OSA management.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Vanderveken Olivier
• Fellow: Op de Beeck Sara

Research team(s)

• Translational Neurosciences (TNW)

Project type(s)

• Research Project