Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Arousability and Links to Mechanisms in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The study design is a randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the hypothesis that arousal threshold (ArTH) will affect how individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 10/hour of higher) respond to CPAP therapy regarding adherence and cognitive function (executive function). Investigators hypothesize that raising ArTH with eszopiclone will improve adherence to CPAP and neurocognitive function with CPAP therapy. Investigators also hypothesize that a lower baseline ArTH is associated with worse CPAP adherence, while a higher baseline ArTH is associated with improved neurocognitive outcomes with CPAP therapy.

Primary Objective The primary objective of this study is to determine whether raising arousal threshold (ArTH) in OSA will improve response to CPAP therapy in people with OSA, where response includes factors such as adherence, change in executive function (Flanker Inhibitory Control test) and cardiovascular function (flow mediated vasodilatation, an exploratory outcome). Secondary Objective The secondary objective\[s\] of this study are to understand the mechanisms by which raising ArTH may improve adherence to CPAP, neurocognitive and cardiovascular function. The mechanisms investigated include sleep duration, depth, CPAP level and tolerance, hypoxia, patient symptoms, biomarkers of neuronal damage, oxidative stress and sympathetic activation.