Research participants wanted for CPAP study - NYC

[Guest]

We are currently looking for overweight (body mass index > 25 kg/m2) men and women, age 18-65 y, to participate in a sleep study.

To participate you must have been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea within the past year, and have been prescribed continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) but not have not yet started treatment.

This is a 2-phase, inpatient study. The total duration of the study is 21 weeks, including 2 periods of 1 day spent in the laboratory.

You will be asked to use an active CPAP machine and a placebo CPAP machine at home, each for 8 weeks. We will measure your sleep, physical activity, and food intake in response to each treatment.

Compensation will be provided up to $1,000 for completing phases.

Email as4874 [at] columbia [dot] edu for more information and to see if you may be eligible.

[Julie]

You're asking already diagnosed patients to go without Cpap for two months?

Don't suppose you'd care to share what the focus of the study's about? A red flag is up for me that you're looking at (only) overweight people... when there are very many normal weight people with OSA, and that it's been recently shown that in fact OSA may be the cause of being overweight in patients.

[postitnote]

Who here would be willing to chance a faux xpap machine?

[Krelvin]

Not interested. no way could I do without CPAP for that long. 2 days and I am in trouble.

[kaiasgram]

As a former university researcher I take note of these research study recruitment posts. Increasingly I'm seeing what I call "lazy" research -- using internet forums and Craigslist to recruit subjects, posting research questionnaires on Survey Monkey, etc. I understand it is generally regarded as acceptable but it can sure sacrifice the integrity of the research project.

Guest -- At the very least, you should be professional enough to identify yourself, the lead researcher, the research institution, the funding source and offer more information about the purpose of the study.

You are approaching a non-random sample of committed cpap users and asking them to forego (or not begin) treatment for eight weeks. Big methodological -- and perhaps ethical -- flaw.

[ems]

Kaiasgram... I agree with you. My guess is that "Guest" is a very young person who simply doesn't understand why people who have OSA use a CPAP machine in the first place. This doesn't excuse the person, but it already tells me that Guest has no idea how serious a diagnosis of OSA can be.


**Guest... it would be a good idea if you familarize yourself with what potentially could be a serious diagnosis, before you advertise for participants for a research project that you apparently know nothing about.

[SleepDisturbed]

"Guest", if you won't even register an account, I must assume you are not even close to being legit.

Go away please.

[Darth Lady]

I'd be fascinated to find out exactly how one would do placebo CPAP therapy . Just not fascinated enough to go without treatment for eight weeks. Perhaps that's why they want people who haven't started yet? Because we'd know the difference ?

I see that "guest" has a Columbia University e-mail address. Also, presumably, access to a sleep lab. But I can't imagine what their endpoint is with this, or what their hypothesis might be.

[postitnote]

I'd be fascinated to find out exactly how one would do placebo CPAP therapy . Just not fascinated enough to go without treatment for eight weeks. Perhaps that's why they want people who haven't started yet? Because we'd know the difference ?

I see that "guest" has a Columbia University e-mail address. Also, presumably, access to a sleep lab. But I can't imagine what their endpoint is with this, or what their hypothesis might be.

You have a great point here! How would you fake air being blown through a hose and mask?

[palerider]

[quote="Darth Lady"I see that "guest" has a Columbia University e-mail address. Also, presumably, access to a sleep lab. But I can't imagine what their endpoint is with this, or what their hypothesis might be.[/quote]

well, if it's not a hoax, I'd say they're trying to sucker some govt entity into ratholing a bunch of funding to "examine whether or not cpaps actually work"

[kaiasgram]

This looks like the Columbia University project in question: http://www.columbiamedicine.org/researc ... echter.pdf

3-year new Scientist Development Grant, American Heart Association (Founders Affiliate)
“Effects of CPAP on Diet, Physical Activity, and Cardiovascular Risk”

This is the information that should be presented to all prospective research participants as part of the recruitment effort.

[Julie]

So, do you want to be a lab rat for this study that's as likely to set back your treatment for 2 mos (if you survive it) as accelerate credits for students in their research endeavours? Are you ready to lose a few lbs (maybe) in the interest of science? Think I'll sit this one out.

[grayghost4]

Quote ; but not have not yet started treatment

None of us would qualify for the study.

[kaiasgram]

Julie, I didn't see anything about students or student credit in the principal investigator's abstract. But I share your concern about the OSA patients' well-being.

That said, I suspect it will not be that difficult to find newly diagnosed OSA patients who would agree to participate in this study because they're not yet fully aware, or may be in some denial, about the importance of treatment. A lot of people would figure they've gone this long without cpap, what's a couple months more... that sort of thing. It may be flawed reasoning but we see it here sometimes. I hope that the Informed Consent paperwork clearly addresses the potential risks of foregoing sleep apnea therapy for two months. Age, length of time undiagnosed/untreated, pre-existing conditions, and severity of OSA -- all of these variables need to be considered when assessing the risks to a prospective research subject in a study like this.

[Julie]

I think it could be a problem for new diagnosees if their Cpap experiment is not managed well comfort and sleep wise... if fittings are not well done, pressures not set properly, etc., and would it turn them off starting Rx when the study was over?