Meet the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Research Opportunities in Sleep Medicine

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) supports a broad spectrum of basic research, clinical research, population-based investigations, and research on prevention and health education (Table [1]). In addition, the NHLBI has a legislative mandate to transfer findings from medical research to the community through professional and public education (Table [2]).

In recognition that sleep disorders are a major public health concern, the United States Congress established the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) in 1993 to enhance sleep-disorders awareness, facilitate government-wide coordination of sleep research and training, and develop integrative multidisciplinary research programs to fill gaps in the knowledge base. The NCSDR (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep) is an office of the NHLBI and a focal point of sleep-related interactions within the government, including the national Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) components involved in sleep disorders research (Table [3], Table [4]). The NCSDR also partners with nongovernment organizations in a wide range of professional and community education activities. This comprehensive arrangement facilitates the identification of pulmonary and sleep research opportunities and ensures that findings are developed, evaluated, and transferred to the public as rapidly as possible.

NIH published the National Sleep Disorders Strategic Research Plan in 1996 and launched a series of new programs on the genomic, neurobiological, and circadian mechanisms regulating sleep and wakefulness; the restorative function of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation; sleep-related cardiorespiratory disorders; and the effects of sleep apnea in children. The NCSDR has jointly sponsored program announcements on Basic and Clinical Research on Sleep and Wakefulness and on Biobehavioral Research for Effective Sleep. It has active research grant programs related to the Molecular Biology and Genetics of Sleep and Sleep Disorders (RFA HL-97-015), Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children (RFA HL-98-004), Phenotypic Characterization of Sleep in Mice (RFA HL-99-001), Development of Mouse Phenotypic Screens (RFA HL-99-010), Genomic Applications for Heart, Lung, and Blood Research (HL-99-024), and Oxygen Sensing During Intermittent Hypoxia (RFA HL-00-004). A new RFA on Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Children (HL-01-006) will focus research on fundamental biological mechanisms through which sleep deprivation and sleep disorders affect the cardiopulmonary, hematological, immunological, mental, and behavioral health of children.

Key to many new scientific findings is the NHLBI Specialized Centers of Research (SCOR) program on the Neurobiology of Sleep and Sleep Apnea (RFA HL-96-014). The objective of this SCOR program is to integrate the molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches to sleep control with clinical investigations on the etiology and pathogenesis of sleep disorders, particularly sleep apnea. In addition, the ongoing multicenter Sleep Heart Health Study is employing clinical and epidemiological approaches to examine whether subjects with high blood pressure have sleep apnea; whether sleep apnea is a contributing risk factor for the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease; and how age, gender, and ethnicity influence the association between apnea, hypertension, and stroke. Innovative biomedical technologies are being developed to improve diagnostic and treatment approaches for sleep-disordered breathing under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.

The NHLBI also supports programs to train students, scientists, and physicians for basic and clinical research in cardiorespiratory physiology and medicine. The Institute is enhancing the awareness of medical students, physicians, and other health-care professionals about sleep and sleep disorders through the Sleep Academic Award program established in 20 medical schools. A web site has been developed for the Sleep Academic Award program (http://www.aasmnet.org/MEDSleep) through a partnership with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. This site already has more than 45 sleep-related curriculum resources available for free access by all interested health faculty, and the final total will be more than 70 sleep curriculum resources.

A major activity of NCSDR is the preparation of expert panel reports to educate health professionals, patients, and the general public about sleep, chronic sleep loss, and common sleep disorders. Another major focus is educating children and adolescents about sleep and the dangers of drowsy driving. A 5-year educational initiative introduced in early 2001 is targeting young children ages 7 to 11 about the importance of sleep using Garfield the Cat as our Star Sleeper to be a ``spokescat'' for healthy sleep education messages and utilizing a number of entertaining, interactive, and easy-to-use educational materials and activities (http://starsleep.nhlbi.nih.gov). Public health programs in partnership with other professional organizations are also being implemented to address adolescent sleep, sleep and fatigue in medical education, and surveillance of adverse consequences of chronic sleep loss.