Somnology Group

   

History

Somnology Group was established in 2013 as a separate division of the Research Department for Arterial Hypertension of the Heart and Vessels Institute. The specialists of the Research Department for Arterial Hypertension have been diagnosing and consulting patients for sleep disorders since 2002.

Research

The specialists of Somnology Group carry out research on sleep disorders associated with cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine diseases and their influence on prognosis in various conditions. Based on these results, the Research Department for Arterial Hypertension performed and defended theses, including 3 PhD and 1 doctoral theses. Since 2014, more than 120 publications have been published, incl. more than 40 in Scopus and Web of Science.

Major areas of ongoing research

• Possibility of eliminating cardiac rhythm and conduction disorders in CPAP /BiPAP therapy at night time;
• Studies in patients with HF, sleep assessment before and after heart transplant surgery;
• Survey of St. Petersburg population as part of a large-scale epidemiological study to assess CVD in various regions of the Russian Federation (ESSE-RF);
• Studies on the role of sleep breathing disorders in arterial hypertension, resistant hypertension and metabolic disorders.

Collaboration and International Cooperation

• Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Moscow) – for developing non-contact methods for sleep disorder assessment
• With specialists in different areas (neurologists, endocrinologists, ENT specialists, psychologists and psychotherapists) of the leading institutions of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Petrozavodsk, Khanty-Mansiysk for an integrated approach to the diagnosis and treatment of various sleep disorders.

International collaboration

Somnology Group has been actively involved in international projects.

Since 2018, a multicenter randomized eSATIS study “Early Sleep Apnea Treatment in Stroke: A Multicenter, Randomized, Rater-Blinded, Clinical Trial of Adaptive Servo-Ventilation” (2018—2020) is being performed in the Almazov National Medical Research Centre. Main Centre and Sponsor) /Principal Investigator: Professor Claudio Bassetti (Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland).

From 2018 to 2019, a new study was carried out with Tech Company Huawei (China) — «Automatic human sleep monitoring via smartphone and fitness tracker signals».

Since 2019, the study «Obstructive sleep apnea therapy in patients after bariatric surgery» was carried out with the support of «Lowenstein» company (Germany).

Membership in professional societies

European Sleep Research Society, Assembly of National Sleep Societies, International Society of Hypertension.

The specialists of Somnology Group regularly take part in international and national congresses and conferences of professional societies (Russian Society of Cardiology, European Society of Cardiology, International Society of Hypertension, National Sleep Society, European Sleep Research Society, World Sleep Society, All-Russian Society of Neurologists) and hold symposia, round tables, etc.

In 2019, the annual Assembly of National Sleep Societies was organized for the first time in Russia (in St. Petersburg).

Clinical activities

The specialists of Somnology Group conduct outpatient appointments at the Diagnostic Centre, provide consultations to inpatients admitted to Almazov Centre.

All types of diagnostic devices (according to the AASM classification) are available to perform the following sleep tests: attended in-lab full video-polysomnography; unattended polysomnography in cardiology wards; cardiorespiratory monitoring (with a simultaneous 12-channel ECG monitoring) and night pulse oximetry with a simultaneous oronasal airflow recording. The last 2 types are screening tests and are used for as primary diagnostic tools only. Actigraphy is used for the evaluation of circadian rhythm disorders.

The laboratory can also select the treatment for sleep-related breathing disorders, primarily various modes of PAP (positive airway pressure) therapy, which is the treatment of choice for sleep apnea. If necessary, complex treatment using an oxygen concentrator is used. Patients receiving PAP therapy are followed up to assess the effect of therapy on the main clinical and laboratory parameters.

In addition to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders, somnology specialists focus on the detection, assessment and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, and provide comprehensive diagnosis for patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Together with the specialists of the Perinatal Centre, somnologists provide diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in children.

Training and education

The specialists of the Somnology Group take part in delivering advanced training courses in:

• Cardiology, Functional Testing, Endocrinology, Bariatric Surgery («Holter ECG and blood pressure monitoring in CVD diagnosis and treatment» and «Surgical treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders»)
• Diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in CVD patients (training cycles «Innovative technologies in AH therapy», etc.)
• Postgraduate training cycles
• Continuous medical education programmes, including interactive educational courses («Obstructive sleep apnea: diagnosis and treatment», «AH therapy in special groups», «AH treatment and comorbidity»)

Participation in State Assignments

The Somnology Group participates in State Assignments on the following topics:

• Pathogenetic significance of respiratory disorders and sleep phase structure in CVD and endocrine disorders (2015—2017)
• Pathogenetic significance of sleep disorders in cognitive and emotional-volitional disorders in humans (2018—2020)

Clinical testing

Somnology Group together with the National Medical Research Centre for Therapy and Preventive Medicine (Moscow) in 2016—2018 participated in the clinical testing «Non-invasive sleep ventilation in the rehabilitation tactics for AF patients». Thirty-five patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome after AF catheter treatment received non-invasive ventilation in a continuous positive pressure mode for 1 year to reduce the risk of AF recurrence.

Clinical trials

• Study Assessing the Morbidity-Mortality Benefits of the If Inhibitor Ivabradine in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease, 2012—2014 (Servier, France).
• Effect of ivabradine in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: the EDIFY randomized placebo-controlled trial, 2014—2016 (Servier, France).
• Combined drug with fixed amlodipine doses / perindopril (Dalneva) and combined drug with fixed amlodipine doses / indapamide / perindopril (Ko-Dalneva) — contribution to the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed and uncontrolled AH, 2018—2019 — (PRECIOUS study, KRKA company).

Outreach and events

In 2013, 2015 and 2017 the specialists of the Somnology Group held international educational sessions «Sleep as a window into the world of wakefulness», the 8th Russian youth conference with international participation in St. Petersburg (2015) at Almazov Centre.

Since 2014, our specialists have been holding different events for the World Sleep Day. The set of events was ranked among the best and received the Distinguished Activity Award of the World Association of Sleep Medicine. On the World Sleep Day, March 13, 2020, the exhibition «About Sleep» was opened at the Health Museum (St. Petersburg), it attracted great interest of media and attention of St. Petersburg citizens and guests.

The specialists of the Somnology Group take an active part in different outreach events for the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders promoting healthy sleep. They give lectures for people with cardiovascular, endocrine and other diseases, give interviews on TV, radio and other media and publish articles on the role of sleep.