Levels and Patterns of Physical Activity and Sleep in people with COMISA Versus Age- and Sex-Matched Insomniacs and Good Sleepers

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic insomnia have each been associated with decreased levels of physical activity (PA). In turn, insufficient PA can lead to poorer sleep. For people with both OSA and insomnia – a combination called COMISA – guidelines recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for OSA and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi). However, these treatments have certain limitations and no documented effects on PA levels. Thus, adjunct therapies that can increase PA levels in COMISA would be useful. Exercise training has shown promising effects in people with OSA. The goal of the proposed project is to: i) assess PA levels and patterns in people with COMISA and compare them to those of age- and sex-matched insomniacs (INS) and good sleepers (GS); ii) evaluate PA levels in the COMISA group before and after an exercise-training intervention. This project will document, for the first time, PA levels in people with COMISA and assess their response to an exercise program. Results may reveal a new adjunct treatment in the clinical management of COMISA. This is the first research collaboration between 2 teams that have very compatible expertise: Dr. Maldonado’s team at UPV/EHU and Dr. Pepin’s team at Concordia.

Faculty Supervisor:

Veronique Pepin

Student:

Partner:

University of the Basque Country

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Other

University:

Concordia University

Program: