Not yet recruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Entropy-based Physiological Signal Analysis in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

This research is part of a Master's degree project. It aims to understand how a common treatment for sleep apnoea, called CPAP, affects the body's signals. Specifically, it will look at changes in oxygen levels, heart rate, and breathing patterns in people with sleep apnoea before and after three and six months of CPAP use. The information for this study comes from a previous research project called 3DPiPPIn, which explored special 3D-printed CPAP masks. By studying this existing data, researchers hope to see how CPAP therapy helps to improve and restore the body's normal functions that were affected by sleep apnoea.

At a glance

Status

Not yet recruiting

Sponsor

King's College London

Enrolment target

160

Start

01 Apr 2026

Estimated completion

01 Sep 2026

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

What is this study about?

This study is trying to understand more about how your body responds to a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) called CPAP therapy. If you have OSA, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you sleep. CPAP helps by delivering a gentle flow of air to keep your airways open.

Researchers are particularly interested in what they call the 'complexity' of body signals. Think of it like comparing a simple, repetitive tune to a rich, complex piece of music. Our bodies are incredibly complex, and changes in things like how your heart beats or your oxygen levels can tell us a lot about your health. When you have OSA, these natural body rhythms can get disrupted. This study wants to see if CPAP treatment helps to restore these signals to a more healthy and complex pattern.

The good news is that no new tests or appointments are needed for this research. This study is using information that was already collected during a previous trial called 3DPiPPIn. That earlier trial looked at new 3D-printed CPAP masks. By carefully re-examining this existing data, doctors hope to gain a deeper understanding of how CPAP therapy changes and improves the body's functions over time for people with sleep apnoea.

Key takeaways

This study uses existing health information from people with sleep apnoea.
It aims to understand how CPAP treatment changes body signals over time.
Data from a previous trial (3DPiPPIn) is being re-examined.
The goal is to learn more about how CPAP improves your body's functions.
No new patient involvement or tests are needed for this research.
This is a Master's degree project to advance medical knowledge.

Who may be eligible?

In order to be included in this specific study, you must have been a participant in the earlier 3DPiPPIn trial. It's also important that you completed the full six months of that trial and that the researchers have your body signal information from key points: at the start, after three months, and after six months of treatment.

Most importantly, you must have given your agreement for your information from the 3DPiPPIn trial to be used for future research, like this current study. This consent is really important for protecting your privacy and ensuring your wishes are respected.

You would not be suited for this study if you didn't finish the full six months of the 3DPiPPIn trial, if any of your key body signal information (at the start, three months, or six months) is missing, or if you did not agree to your data being used for further research.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Did you take part in the 3DPiPPIn trial?
Did you complete the full six months of the 3DPiPPIn trial?
Were your oxygen, heart rate, and breathing data collected at the start, three months, and six months?
Did you agree for your information from 3DPiPPIn to be used in future research?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you participated in the 3DPiPPIn trial and meet the criteria, you won't need to do anything extra. This study is looking at information already collected from you during your involvement in the 3DPiPPIn trial. There are no new visits, assessments, medications, or follow-up appointments required for this particular research. Your involvement is simply through the use of de-identified data you already provided.

Potential risks and benefits

Since this study only uses information that has already been collected, there are no direct physical risks to you. The main benefit is that your past involvement can help researchers learn more about how CPAP treatment works, potentially improving care for others with sleep apnoea in the future. As the data is from a past trial, and for future research you would have given consent, you cannot withdraw your data from this particular analysis once it's been anonymised.

Locations (2)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Royal Free Hospital
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom
King's College London
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)?

OSA is when your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you sleep, usually because your airway becomes blocked.

What is CPAP therapy?

CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. It's a common treatment for OSA where a machine gently blows air through a mask to keep your airway open while you sleep.

What does 'complexity of body signals' mean?

It refers to the natural, varied patterns in things like your heart rate and oxygen levels. Healthy bodies often show more complex and adaptable signal patterns.

What was the 3DPiPPIn study?

It was an earlier study that looked into whether 3D-printed, custom-made CPAP masks could be helpful for people using CPAP therapy.

Do I need to do anything if I was in the 3DPiPPIn study?

No, if you previously gave permission for your data to be used in future research and met the other requirements, your existing information will be used, and you don't need to do anything further.

How to find out more

Ime O Umoabasi

ime.o.umoabasi@kcl.ac.uk +447872676377 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.