Basic research
Basic sleep research projects currently underway at the Centre include:
- The effect of temperature biofeedback on sleep and cardiac autonomic tone in young and aged adults
- The effects of sleep disturbance on behaviour and academic performance in children
- Infrared thermal imaging: An innovative technique to assess peripheral body temperature
- Do snoring children need treatment?
- Brief naps as a countermeasure to fatigue
- Legal blood alcohol concentration and afternoon sleepiness: What are safe levels for driving?
The effect of temperature biofeedback on sleep and cardiac autonomic tone in young and aged adults
(2004, funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant)Funded by an ARC Discovery Grant for 2003–2005, Dr Kurt Lushington and Dr Cameron van den Heuvel are continuing an innovative research program aiming to treat insomnia based on conscious control of peripheral thermoregulation. Assisted by students from UniSA's Department of Psychology, healthy volunteers are trained in the use of temperature biofeedback, a technique that provides some conscious control of hand skin temperature without using drugs. Subsequent laboratory assessments have revealed that the biofeedback technique is very successful in improving sleepiness in limited trials. We have already collected pilot data from young healthy adults and a small group of young adult insomniacs. The research will continue in 2005, enlisting older adults to assess the utility of biofeedback across age and sleep status as a viable treatment for insomnia.
Key researchers: Kurt Lushington, Cameron van den Heuvel.
The effects of sleep disturbance on behaviour and academic performance in children
(2004–2005, funded by the Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation)This research project, funded by Channel 7 Research Foundation and in collaboration with Associate Professor Ron Chervin (University of Michigan) aims to continue similar research undertaken in South Australia last year where the sleep and school grades of children in specialist behavioural units for disruptive behaviour were compared to children in mainstream schools. The research underway this year duplicates this study in 6 Northern Territory schools in healthy children between ages 6–12 years. All participating children and parents completed questionnaires about sleep with sleep diaries, behaviour, Body Mass Indices (BMI), and bullying while school grades were gathered from teachers. We expect to see higher sleep disturbance in children with poorer school grades and worse behaviour. We are interested in evaluating if children with higher BMI have disturbed sleep, if children who sleep less are more likely to bully and we will also compare sleep in indigenous children with non-indigenous children.
Key researchers: Sarah Blunden, Nicole Lamond, Ron Chervin (University of Michigan).
Infrared thermal imaging: An innovative technique to assess peripheral body temperature
(2002–2004, National Health and Medical Research Council)Much of the recent laboratory research conducted by our Psychophysiology Research Group has shown that normal daily changes in body temperature play a significant role in regulating an individual's level of sleepiness. In 2004, Dr Cameron van den Heuvel and Dr Sally Ferguson completed an NH&MRC-funded study investigating possible causes for difficulty getting to sleep (i.e. sleep onset insomnia). Insomnia is widespread, affecting up to half of the general population at some point in their lives. Using digital infrared thermal imaging as a novel supplement to more traditional contact thermometry measures, we have discovered that the thermoregulatory system of insomniacs has specific impairments compared to healthy adults who sleep normally. This is an important new discovery that sheds some light onto the previously poorly defined causes of insomnia. It is hoped that this research, to be published in 2005, will provide the basis for future effective treatments of insomnia that are based on the underlying physiological cause.
Key researchers: Cameron van den Heuvel, Sally Ferguson.
Collaborative grants
Do snoring children need treatment?
Dr van den Heuvel is currently collaborating with Dr Kurt Lushington (School of Psychology, UniSA), Dr Declan Kennedy (Paediatrics, University of Adelaide) and Dr James Martin (Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Women's and Children's Hospital). He also has Affiliate Researcher status with the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital and the University of Adelaide's Department of Paediatrics. The current research focuses on children with mild snoring who have been shown to suffer impaired intellectual abilities, such as in memory, intelligence, attention and executive functions. Snoring children are also more likely to have behavioural problems and poor grades at school. The current project aims to identify for the first time the natural history of snoring in Australian school children, so that clinical treatment can be targeted more effectively at those children who will develop long-standing deficits due to snoring.
Key researchers: Cameron van den Heuvel, Kurt Lushington.
Brief naps as a countermeasure to fatigue
Dr Sally Ferguson has been awarded an ARC Discovery grant with Professor Leon Lack of the Sleep Research Laboratory at Flinders University. This grant begins in 2005 and will investigate the validity of napping as a countermeasure to fatigue. Fatigue is a major contributor to deaths and injuries both on the road and in many workplaces. This project will study the effects of short naps (1–20 minutes) at different times of the day and night on individuals alertness levels and neurobehavioural performance. Ultimately, it is hoped that information from such studies will provide a sound scientific basis for the development of napping strategies for drivers and workers to prevent fatigue-related accidents.
Key researchers: Sally Ferguson.
Legal blood alcohol concentration and afternoon sleepiness: What are safe levels for driving?
(2005, Australian Brewer's Foundation Alcohol-Related Medical Research Grant)Dr Stuart Baulk and Dr Cameron van den Heuvel currently hold positions as Affiliate Researchers at the Adelaide Institute of Sleep Health, Repatriation General Hospital, collaborating specifically with the Director, Prof. Doug McEvoy. Their research will focus on an investigation of sleepiness and driving impairment in both normal and sleep disordered subjects. This one year funded project aims to examine closely the effects of low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption in combination with real-life levels of sleep deprivation, on driving performance using a simulated driving task with both male and female young adult drivers. The important measures include accuracy in lane-keeping, speed regulation, and self-perception of performance. The findings of this study will have important implications for public health, and may influence the focus of future public education campaigns on road safety and responsible alcohol consumption.
Both alcohol consumption and sleepiness are recognised as direct causes of a significant number of motor vehicle accidents worldwide. Some recent research has also shown that alcohol intoxication at legally acceptable levels, in combination with excessive sleepiness is another significant predictor of motor vehicle accidents. However, although well researched separately, this combination has not yet been adequately investigated. In particular, no studies have systematically examined the effects of different levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on driving performance under conditions of sleep restriction. In addition, little is known about the likely interaction of these factors with gender or the effects on drivers' attitudes to impairment.
Key researchers: Stuart Baulk, Cameron van den Heuvel, Doug McEvoy (Repatriation General Hospital).