# Targeting Chemoreceptor Control of Breathing during Sleep to Mitigate Opioid-Associated Sleep Disordered Breathing

> **NIH VA I01** · JOHN D DINGELL VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

The U.S government has declared an opioid crisis in the country and federal health agencies are
adopting emergency measures to obviate the high mortality associated with prescription opioid drug use. There
is an increased risk for sleep disordered breathing (SDB), sleep-related hypoventilation and irregular breathing
in individuals on chronic prescription opioid medications. Almost 30% of a veteran sleep clinic population had
opioid-associated central sleep apnea (CSA). Gravely, in a national sample of Veterans, sleep apnea was a
significant risk factor for opioid-related toxicity and overdose and the presence of CSA combined with chronic
prescription opioid use compounded the mortality risk. There are only limited and partially effective therapies
for this sleep disorder.
 Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms by which opioids produce SDB in adults remain unclear, and
varied and conflicting ventilatory control mechanisms have been suggested. Thus, we will systematically
investigate the chemoreceptor control mechanisms contributing to the increased propensity of SDB associated
with chronic prescription opioid use. We will investigate the effects of chronic opioid use on ventilatory
chemoresponsiveness and cerebrovascular responsiveness to carbon-dioxide and determine whether
modifying these mechanisms with hyperoxia or acetazolamide will mitigate opioid-related SDB/CSA. The
information garnered from the proposed experiments will drive development of novel personalized therapies to
reduce SDB associated with chronic opioids in Veterans and, ultimately, will positively impact their long-term
health and well-being.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9783203
- **Project number:** 1I01CX001938-01
- **Recipient organization:** JOHN D DINGELL VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** susmita chowdhuri
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2019-10-01 → 2023-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9783203

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9783203, Targeting Chemoreceptor Control of Breathing during Sleep to Mitigate Opioid-Associated Sleep Disordered Breathing (1I01CX001938-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9783203. Licensed CC0.

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