Effect of Desipramine on Genioglossus Muscle Activity in Healthy Adults Study A
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-03-01
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 participants. 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
desipramine (a tricyclic antidepressant with strong noradrenergic and antimuscarinic effects)
on genioglossus muscle activity (EMG GG) during sleep in healthy control participants.