Steroids for Pediatric Apnea Research in Kids (SPARK)

Utility of Nasal Steroids for Treatment of Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This double-blind, randomized controlled trial will evaluate the use of nasal corticosteroids for the treatment of the childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Efficacy, duration of action and side-effects will be determined.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Nasal Fluticasone; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

Several studies have suggested that Nasal corticosteroids (NCS) or leukotriene antagonists may be effective in the treatment of childhood OSAS. However, these studies have been limited by factors such as small size, lack of randomization and blinding, short-term follow-up, involvement of children with only very mild OSAS, and/or lack of stratifying for the presence of atopy. Therefore, investigators will plan a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of NCS vs placebo in children with mild to moderate OSAS. The overall hypothesis is that NCS will be safe and efficacious in the treatment of mild to moderate childhood OSAS, particularly in children with asthma/atopy, but will require ongoing maintenance therapy.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 211
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
      • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 12 years (CHILD)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria

1. 5-10 years of age.
2. Mild to moderate OSAS, defined as an obstructive apnea index of 1-20/hr of total sleep time or obstructive apnea hypopnea index of 2-30/hr of total sleep time.
3. Parent-related symptoms of habitual snoring (>3 nights per week)
4. No history of adenotonsillectomy.
5. Parental/guardian permission (informed consent) and if appropriate, child assent

Exclusion Criteria

1. Severe OSAS or significant hypoxemia or hypercapnia on polysomnography, such that definitive treatment should not be delayed (AHI > 30/hr, more than 2% total sleep time with arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) <90%, end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (PCO2) > 60 mm Hg for > 5 minutes, pathologic arrhythmias).
2. History of recurrent throat infections (as defined by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Clinical Practice Guidelines For Tonsillectomy (7)) in the past few years as follows: > 7 episodes in the past year or > 5 episodes/year over the past 2 years or > 3 episodes/year over the past 3 years.
3. Abnormalities on baseline safety screening tests, i.e., Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan showing spine or whole body bone mineral density < -2.0 standard deviations using race specific curves with adjustment for height Z-score; morning cortisol < 3 µg/dl or morning adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) < 10 pg/ml; or ophthalmologic exam demonstrating cataracts (except those with < 2 mm anterior polar cataracts), aphakia or other ocular abnormalities such as glaucoma, retinal coloboma, intraocular inflammation or microphthalmia.
4. Failure to thrive (weight/height < 5th percentile for age and gender), as this may be secondary to OSAS.
5. Severe obesity (BMI z-score > 3) as OSAS is likely to persist in these subjects.
6. Previous adenoidectomy unless adenoidal tissue has been documented to have regrown.
7. Previous tonsillectomy.
8. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.
9. Any NCS use in the past 3 months or NCS use for > 2 weeks in the past year.
10. Current immunotherapy or daily antihistamine use.
11. Recent (past month) nasal septum ulcers, surgery or trauma.
12. Other major illness other than asthma, such as craniofacial anomalies, endocrine or neuromuscular disease, or past history of cancer. This includes children with conditions that may be worsened by OSAS, such as hypertension or diabetes.
13. Current use of ketoconazole or other potent CYP3A4 inhibitors.
14. Families planning to move out of the area within the year.
15. Subjects who do not speak either English or Spanish well enough to complete the validated neurobehavioral instruments.
16. Parents/guardians or subjects who, in the opinion of the Investigator, may be non-compliant with study schedules or procedures.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: QUADRUPLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Nasal steroids; Participants randomly assigned to this study arm will receive a 3-month course of nasal steroids (nasal fluticasone).	Drug: Nasal Fluticasone; One spray per nostril, per day.; Other Names: NCS; Nasal steroids; Nasal corticosteroids
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Placebo; Participants randomly assigned to this study arm will receive a 3-month course of placebo nasal spray (saline).	Drug: Placebo; One spray per nostril, per day.; Other Names: Saline

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Obstructive Apnea Hypopnea Index	Efficacy measure to assess acute response to nasal steroids. Obstructive apnea hypopnea index (events per hour). Per inclusion/exclusion criteria the expected range for this study at baseline is between 2 and 30 events per hour. Please note that lower and upper ranges can be broader at the 3- and 12-month points. The obstructive apnea hypopnea index (OAHI) is the sum of obstructive apneas and hypopneas, and mixed apneas divided by the total hours of sleep. Hence, the unit used is events per hour. It ranges from 0 events per hour(meaning no obstructive apneas at all) until 400 events per hour approximately. Higher values indicate more severe obstructive sleep apnea or worse outcome.	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
OAHI	Efficacy measure to assess duration of response to nasal steroids. Obstructive apnea hypopnea index (events per hour). Per inclusion/exclusion criteria the expected range for this study at baseline is between 2 and 30 events per hour. Please note that lower and upper ranges can be broader at the 3- and 12-month points.	12 months
Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE)	Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale, a validated scale of nasal obstructive symptoms. The scales ranges from 0-100 with higher values indicating worse nasal obstruction	12 months
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale	Epworth Sleepiness scale is a measure of sleepiness that ranges from 0-24, with higher values indicating sleepiness	12 months
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)	Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), a well-validated, generic measure of global quality of life, in which scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life	12 month
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)	Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function [BRIEF] Global Executive Composite T score, comprising summary measures of behavioral regulation and metacognition [with mean scores of 50 and standard deviation of 10, with higher scores indicating worse functioning]	12 months
Conners Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire	A parent-rated measure of symptoms of attention problems, yielding T scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 (higher scores indicate worse functioning).	12 months
Purdue Peg Board	The Purdue Peg Board is a widely used test of fine motor coordination, yields z-scores with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1, with higher scores indicating better performance.	12 months
Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT)	The CPT is a performance measure of sustained attention that yields T scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 (higher scores indicate worse functioning)	12 months
Child Behavior Checklist	The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), is a widely used and validated caregiver-completed survey of behavior competencies that yields standardized, age-adjusted scores on internalizing, externalizing and attentional behavior difficulties81, 82. All scores are T scores with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10 (higher scores indicate worse functioning).	12-Months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Collaborators: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Carole L Marcus, MBBCh, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Tapia IE, Shults J, Cielo CM, Kelly AB, Elden LM, Spergel JM, Bradford RM, Cornaglia MA, Sterni LM, Radcliffe J. A Trial of Intranasal Corticosteroids to Treat Childhood OSA Syndrome. Chest. 2022 Oct;162(4):899-919. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2022.06.026. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Helpful Links

• Related Info

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): December 30, 2019
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): October 30, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 1, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2014
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): July 3, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): November 10, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 2, 2021
• Last Verified: November 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: OSA; sleep apnea; corticosteroids; Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; nasal steroids
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Sleep Apnea Syndromes; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive; Apnea; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Autonomic Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Dermatologic Agents; Bronchodilator Agents; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Respiratory System Agents; Anti-Allergic Agents; Fluticasone
• Other Study ID Numbers: 14-010942; R01HL120909 (NIH)