# Sleep deficiency and autonomic function in pediatric chronic abdominal pain

> **NIH NIH K23** · SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2020 · $178,480

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Childhood chronic abdominal pain is highly prevalent, and associated with significantly poorer physical and
psychosocial functioning, and increased school absenteeism. Moreover, these children are at a greater risk of
becoming adults with chronic abdominal pain, overlapping pain syndromes and psychosocial dysfunction.
Chronic pain has become a public health crisis, with annual costs exceeding $600 billion. At present, the
mechanisms underlying chronic abdominal pain are not well understood, limiting the development of
interventions. There is now compelling evidence that sleep deficiency may be a precursor of pain development.
Additionally, sleep deficiency is associated autonomic dysfunction and affective disorders that are commonly
reported by individuals with chronic abdominal pain, highlighting shared central neurobiological processes.
Understanding the role of sleep deficiency as a potential mechanism of chronic abdominal pain will expand
avenues for treatment. The long term goal of this research program is to develop novel strategies to interrupt
the trajectories of chronic abdominal pain. The objectives of this application are to elucidate the longitudinal
impact of sleep deficiency on the course of abdominal pain in adolescents, and to delineate the roles of
autonomic and psychological function in this relationship. The K23 candidate is an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington, and a pediatric pain
physician and anesthesiologist at Seattle Children's Hospital. This proposal outlines a well-integrated research
and training plan for mentored, patient oriented career development supported by an interdisciplinary team of
mentors with expertise in adolescent development, psychophysiological research, longitudinal modeling, and
clinical research applications. This award will provide the candidate with specialized instruction in the
evaluation of sleep and cardiophysiological biomarkers in pediatric abdominal pain populations, and expertise
in the conduct of longitudinal studies. The central aims are to compare sleep deficiency, pain processing,
autonomic and psychological function in adolescents with chronic abdominal pain compared to healthy
adolescents (Study 1); and to evaluate these longitudinal trajectories and inter-relationships for adolescents
with chronic abdominal pain compared to healthy adolescents over 6 months (Study 2). Assessments will
include subjective evaluation of pain, autonomic and psychological function, in addition to home-based
actigraphy monitoring of sleep patterns that will be paired with laboratory assessment of psychophysical pain
tasks and heart rate variability. Data generated from this research will directly inform a planned R01 proposal
to develop tailored interventions targeting sleep deficiency and autonomic function as modifiable risk factors for
treatment. Completion of the proposed training will prepare the candidat...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9957070
- **Project number:** 5K23DK118111-02
- **Recipient organization:** SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** See Wan Tham
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $178,480
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9957070

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9957070, Sleep deficiency and autonomic function in pediatric chronic abdominal pain (5K23DK118111-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9957070. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*