Atomoxetine and Oxybutynin in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2018-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common and has major health implications but treatment
options are limited. OSA patients show a marked reduction in upper airway (UA) dilator muscle
activity at sleep onset and this phenomenon leads to increased collapsibility of UA compared
to normal subjects. Until recently, the search for medicines to activate pharyngeal muscles
in sleeping humans has been discouraging. However, exciting new animal research has shown
that drugs with noradrenergic and antimuscarinic effects can restore pharyngeal muscle
activity to waking levels. In this protocol the investigators will test the effect of
atomoxetine (a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and oxybutynin (an antimuscarinic drug)
administered together on OSA phenotype traits and OSA severity during sleep.