Facilitating Access to Sleep apnoea Screening and Treatment in Spinal Cord Injury

About the Project

Dr Emily Bray is CIB on a MRFF – 2024 Early to Mid-Career Researchers Grant entitled “FASST-SCI: Facilitating Access to Sleep apnoea Screening and Treatment in Spinal Cord Injury” (AIs: Prof Tim Geraghty and Prof Elizabeth Kendall). This project will commence in October 2025.

Outcomes and Impacts:

The FASST-SCI project will determine the feasibility of a physiotherapy-led, respiratory physician-supported, outpatient model of managing obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in people with SCI with an exploratory analysis of health economic benefits.

Relevance to NIISQ Participants:

Facilitating access to best practice treatment, care and support across Queensland: OSA is the most prevalent sleep disorder in SCI. Over 80% of people with tetraplegia live with co-morbid OSA, which has been strongly associated with reduced quality of life. OSA can be effectively treated, yet less than 20% are diagnosed and treated for the disorder. The novel intervention for managing sleep apnoea has potential to improve health and quality of life after SCI.