Acetazolamide on REM OSA (RemmOSA)

The Effect of Acetazolamide on the Severity of REM Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OSA is a highly prevalent disorder that has major consequences for cardiovascular health, neurocognitive function, risk of traffic accidents, daytime sleepiness and quality of life. In particular, REM sleep is accompanied by more frequent and longer obstructive events, that yield more profound hypoxemia than during non-REM (nREM). Exaggerated OSA severity in REM is the consequence of ventilatory drive dips, particularly during phasic eye movements. Unfortunately, the leading treatment for REM and nREM OSA, CPAP-which acts to pneumatically splint the pharynx open-is intolerable for many patients. Treatment outcomes for REM OSA are burdened by further incomplete CPAP adherence later in the night, which commonly leaves REM periods undertreated. In this protocol, the investigators will test the effect of Acetazolamide on REM OSA and on ventilatory parameters such as genioglossus muscle activity and ventilatory drive.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo oral capsule; Drug: Acetazolamide

Detailed Description

After a baseline home sleep test that will assess the presence of OSA and REM OSA, two overnight, in-lab sleep studies will be performed: a drug night and a placebo night. The patient will breath spontaneously (without CPAP) for both nights. On the study nights, subjects will present to the laboratory in the evening and be instrumented with a full polysomnigraphy for monitoring sleep, physiological variables (endotypes), and respiratory events. Participants will also be instrumented with EMG wires and introesophageal catheter for the recording of genioglossus muscle activity and respiratory drive, respectively. A history and physical examination will be performed on each night prior to beginning the study, as will a urine pregnancy test in premenopausal women. Acetazolamide 500 mg will be taken for 2 days (including the day of the study), after a day in which it will be administered at half dose, before bedtime. Subjects will sleep at least 50% of the night in the supine position. At least four hours of sleep with high quality signal acquisition will be required for a study to be judged adequate. Subjective sleep quality will be assessed in the morning. After the first overnight study is completed, there will be a four day washout period prior to crossing over to the other treatment

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 11
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
      • Brigham and Women's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed REM OSA (per baseline screening: REM AHI/nREM AHI≥2) [31-33]
• REM duration>10 minutes
• Not using CPAP (>1 week).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any uncontrolled medical condition
• Current use of the medications under investigation
• Use of medications expected to stimulate or depress respiration (including opioids, barbiturates, doxapram, almitrine, theophylline, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid).
• Conditions likely to affect obstructive sleep apnea physiology: neuromuscular disease or other major neurological disorder, heart failure (also below), or any other unstable major medical condition.
• Respiratory disorders other than sleep disordered breathing:

chronic hypoventilation/hypoxemia (awake SaO2 < 92% by oximetry) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other respiratory conditions.

• Other sleep disorders: periodic limb movements (periodic limb movement arousal index > 10/hr), narcolepsy, or parasomnias.

• Contraindications for acetazolamide, including:

  • Hyperchloremic acidosis
  • Hypokalemia
  • Hyponatremia
  • Adrenal insufficiency
  • Impaired kidney function
  • Hypersensitivity to acetazolamide or other sulfonamides.
  • Marked liver disease or impairment of liver function, including cirrhosis.
• Contraindications to the use of lidocaine 4%/oxymetazoline HCT.
• Claustrophobia
• Pregnancy or nursing

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Placebo capsule before bedtime for 3 nights before the studies (inclusive)	Drug: Placebo oral capsule; Placebo before sleep for 3 nights before the study (inclusive)
Active Comparator: Acetazolamide; Acetazolamide 250 mg before bedtime 3 nights before the study, Acetazolamide 500 mg before bedtime for 2 nights before the study (inclusive)	Drug: Acetazolamide; Acetazolamide 250 mg 3 nights before the study at bedtime, Acetazolamide 500 mg for 2 nights before the study (inclusive) at bedtime.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Apnea hypopnea index	Number of events/hour of sleep	1 night
Hypoxic burden	The total area under the respiratory event-related desaturation curve, measured as in %min/hr	1 night
Ventilatory drive in REM and NREM	Ventilatory drive will be calculated using diaphragm EMG (as percent of eupneic ventilatory drive)	1 night
Genioglossus activity in REM and NREM	Genioglossus activity will be calculated using EMG wires under the tongue (as percent of eupneic activity or maximal activity)	1 night

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 30, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 18, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 18, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): October 21, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 16, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Apnea; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Apnea Syndromes; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive; Sulfur Compounds; Organic Chemicals; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds; Thiazoles; Azoles; Thiadiazoles; Acetazolamide
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2022p002458

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No