Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA)NCT06926036
Micromanaging Human Sleep Physiology to Treat Sleep Apnea and Other Disorders
A study testing Wake training + TMR in people with Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA), run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will examine whether a combination of breathing training during wake and targeted reactivation of the training during sleep can induce breathing changes during sleep and subsequent cognitive benefits during wake. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA)
- What is being tested?
- Wake training + TMR
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 18 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 3 Apr 2025to Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Right-handed, English-speaking adults, 18-60 years old who report normal hearing during sleep
- Participants with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (including those who have been diagnosed by a physician and those whose self-reported symptoms of OSA on the STOP-BANG questionnaire classify them as being "individuals with intermediate to high risk".
- No report of any other sleep disorder besides OSA.
- No report of any neurological or cardiometabolic diseases or disorders.
- Not currently under active treatment for sleep apnea.
- BMI ≤ 40.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
Ken A Paller, PhD, 847-467-3370, kap@northwestern.edu
About this study
This study will examine whether a combination of breathing training during wake and targeted reactivation of the training during sleep can induce breathing changes during sleep and subsequent cognitive benefits during wake.
Participants with obstructive sleep apnea (who have not yet been treated for sleep apnea) will be recruited. Participants will engage in breath training for one week in their own homes and to record their sleep at home using commercially available mobile devices and subsequently have their sleep monitored for one night of polysomnography recordings plus targeted reactivation in a laboratory setting.
- Conditions
- Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA)
- Being tested
- Wake training + TMR
- Keywords
- sleep, sleep apnea obstructive (OSA)
- Medical subject headings
- Sleep Apnea, Obstructive
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Wake training + TMRBehavioural
In this within-participant design, all participants will undergo the same intervention of waking training and TMR.
Waking training - waking training will associate an auditory cue with a specific learned behavioral response (a tongue protrusion and inhalation) during daily sessions for approximately one week, with home sleep monitoring.
TMR - Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) refers to the process of playing learning-associated audio cues quietly during sleep in order to reactivate memories associated with the cue. After completion of waking training, TMR occurs in a laboratory setting, with PSG recording, during a single night.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| All participants | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Wake training + TMR |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI)
AHI indexes the severity of OSA on the night of the study.
Measured: Day 1
Respiratory event duration
The duration of a hypopnea or apnea on the night of the study.
Measured: Day 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Apr 2025
- Study start3 Apr 2025
- Primary completionApr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ken Paller, Northwestern University
- Investigators
- Ken A Paller, PhD, Principal investigator, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06926036
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- FP00002577
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 15 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Micromanaging Human Sleep Physiology to Treat Sleep Apnea and Other Disorders
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06926036
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FP00002577
- Conditions
- Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA)
- Keywords
- sleep, sleep apnea obstructive (OSA)
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will examine whether a combination of breathing training during wake and targeted reactivation of the training during sleep can induce breathing changes during sleep and subsequent cognitive benefits during wake.
Participants with obstructive sleep apnea (who have not yet been treated for sleep apnea) will be recruited. Participants will engage in breath training for one week in their own homes and to record their sleep at home using commercially available mobile devices and subsequently have their sleep monitored for one night of polysomnography recordings plus targeted reactivation in a laboratory setting.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| All participants | Experimental | Behavioral: Wake training + TMR |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Right-handed, English-speaking adults, 18-60 years old who report normal hearing during sleep
- Participants with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (including those who have been diagnosed by a physician and those whose self-reported symptoms of OSA on the STOP-BANG questionnaire classify them as being "individuals with intermediate to high risk".
- No report of any other sleep disorder besides OSA.
- No report of any neurological or cardiometabolic diseases or disorders.
- Not currently under active treatment for sleep apnea.
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Wake training + TMRIn this within-participant design, all participants will undergo the same intervention of waking training and TMR. Waking training - waking training will associate an auditory cue with a specific learned behavioral response (a tongue protrusion and inhalation) during daily sessions for approximately one week, with home sleep monitoring. TMR - Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) refers to the process of playing learning-associated audio cues quietly during sleep in order to reactivate memories associated with the cue. After completion of waking training, TMR occurs in a laboratory setting, with PSG recording, during a single night. | Behavioural | All participants |
Primary outcome
Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI)
Time frame: Day 1
AHI indexes the severity of OSA on the night of the study.
Respiratory event duration
Time frame: Day 1
The duration of a hypopnea or apnea on the night of the study.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA)
RecruitingObservational study
Development and Validation of a Multimodal Deep Learning Model Using Peripheral Oxygen Saturation and Ballistocardiography Signals for Predicting Apnea-Hypopnea Index in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
RecruitingPhase 3
A Study to Learn About the Monthly Dosing Study Medicine Called Berobenatide in Adults With Breathing Problems During Sleep and Overweight or Obesity Who Do Not Use a Breathing Machine (PAP) (VESPER-OSA 2)
Apnea, Sleep Disorders
Not yet recruitingPhase 2
Supplemental Oxygen for Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Adults With Chronic Opioid Use.
Sleep-disordered Breathing, Chronic Opioid Use
Recruiting
Nightly Wearable Monitoring During Home-Based Submental Electrical Stimulation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
RecruitingPhase 1/2
DRonabinol Treatment of OSA
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ken A Paller, PhD principal investigator
Northwestern University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Wake training + TMR in people with Sleep Apnea Obstructive (OSA), run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ken A Paller, PhD (847-467-3370, kap@northwestern.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) (time frame: Day 1). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Jul 2026.