WESTCHESTER, Ill.–The American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) recently awarded an almost $800,000 grant to investigators at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, for a two-year study of the efficacy and cost effectiveness of an integrated strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) through the use of a portable monitoring device compared to a standard polysomnogram (PSG).

The study will focus on the quality of patient outcomes, time from diagnosis to effective treatment, and relative resource utilization for a portable monitoring device and for a PSG. Consenting patients referred to a sleep facility accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) for the evaluation and management of suspected OSA will be studied.

A final report, which will include a summary of the work performed and the results obtained, will be submitted on or prior to the two-year completion date.

Carol L. Rosen, MD, the principal investigator, is a professor of pediatrics and medical director of pediatric sleep services at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.

Susan Redline, MD, the co-investigator, is a professor of pediatrics, medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics. She is chief of the division of clinical epidemiology in the department of pediatrics at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Dr. Redline directs the Case Sleep and Epidemiology Research Center and also the sleep disorders center at University Hospitals of Cleveland.

The ASMF was established by the AASM in 1998. Its purpose is to promote the highest quality education and to support rigorous scientific research within the field of sleep medicine. This is accomplished through consultation with representatives of the AASM, industry, and the public.

AASM is a professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of sleep medicine and sleep-related research.

SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) and the world’s largest annual gathering of sleep scientists and sleep medicine professionals, will take place in Minneapolis, Minn., from June 11-14, 2007. SLEEP 2007 will bring together an international body of 5,000 leading researchers and clinicians, who will present and discuss over 1,100 new findings and medical developments related to sleep and sleep disorders. The deadline to register is Friday, June 1, 2007. Contact Jim Arcuri at (708) 492-0930, ext. 9317, or jarcuri@aasm.org for more information or to register for a press pass. More details, including the program schedule and a list of invited lecturers, are available on the APSS Web site, www.apss.org.

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