Auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea after acute quadriplegia (COSAQ): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

This study examines the effectiveness of using auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in individuals who have recently experienced quadriplegia due to spinal cord injury. The goal is to see if CPAP can improve cognitive function, quality of life, and reduce autonomic dysfunction in these patients. The researchers hypothesize that CPAP treatment will lead to better neuropsychological functioning compared to usual care alone.

• 1
  The primary hypothesis is that nocturnal CPAP will improve neuropsychological functioning more than usual care alone.
• 2
  The secondary hypothesis is that the magnitude of improvement of neuropsychological function will be predicted by the severity of baseline sleepiness measures, sleep fragmentation and sleep apnoea.
• 3
  If CPAP can improve neurocognitive function after injury, it is likely that rehabilitation and subsequent community participation will be substantially improved for this group of predominantly young and severely physically disabled people.