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Shift-Work Sleep DisorderNCT03980340

Breath Biomarkers for Sleep Loss and Circadian Timing

An observational study of Shift-Work Sleep Disorder and Shift Work Type Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, run by Brigham and Women's Hospital at 1 site in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

Insufficient sleep has both health and safety risks, but currently there are no quick, accurate and inexpensive ways to measure sleep deficiency. The current study aims to use a cutting-edge technology, small molecule analysis (e.g. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Short Nap Intervention and No Nap Intervention
How many people
5 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
28 Jan 2021to 31 Mar 2025
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: Healthy volunteers will be recruited from the surrounding community.

Who may be able to join

  • Healthy Adults who are able to fall asleep in the study conditions
  • Beginning 2 hours before the study, participants will be asked to refrain from brushing their teeth, using mouthwash, eating or drinking anything (other than water), chewing gum, smoking, etc., until the study is complete.

Who cannot join

  • Individuals on special diets (such as a very low carbohydrate diet) may be excluded
  • Acute or debilitating medical condition
  • Recent history of dental problems (gum disease, abcess, surgery) or current dental or mouth pain
  • Current use of stimulants, hypnotics, tranquilizers, Central Nervous System active substances, and/or antibiotics.
  • Use of products containing nicotine 24 hours prior to study

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

Other trials in United States

About this study

Insufficient sleep has both health and safety risks, but currently there are no quick, accurate and inexpensive ways to measure sleep deficiency. The current study aims to use a cutting-edge technology, small molecule analysis (e.g. metabolomics), to detect compounds in breath that reliably change with sleep-wake state and those whose levels vary by time of day.

Read the detailed description

The goal of the study is to use a small molecule analysis (e.g. metabolomics) device to measure compounds in breath that may change with sleep-wake state and compounds that vary by time of day. Participants will be fitted with a plastic mask connected to the device for a breath analysis test for about 20 minutes. Then, participants may be asked to lie down and take a nap or to remain sitting/lying down for 1-2 hours. After such time, participants will be asked to complete another ~20 minute breath analysis test. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires throughout the study session. Investigators may ask participants to provide up to two saliva samples during the study session. Participants will also be asked to complete a pre-study diary to document sleep/wake times, diet, and medications for the day before the study session. Participants may be asked if they would be willing to take part in an additional study session on another day.

Being tested
Short Nap Intervention, No Nap Intervention
Keywords
Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, Circadian Rhythm Disorder
Medical subject headings
Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm, Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic, Chronobiology Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Short Nap InterventionBehavioural

    Study participants may be asked to have a 1-2 hour nap in between the breath analysis tests.

  • No Nap InterventionBehavioural

    Study participants may be asked to sit or lay down remaining awake for 1-2 hours in between breath analysis tests.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Comparison of the change in composition of chemical analytes from the breath test

    The change in composition of chemical analytes from the breath analysis tests will be compared between the Short Nap Intervention and No Nap Intervention groups to see if there is a sleep-related change in the components of breath.

    Measured: Study day 1

  2. Change in composition of chemical analytes from the breath test

    The analytes present in individual subject's breath samples before and after a short nap (in the Short Nap Intervention) will be analyzed for differences in chemical composition.

    Measured: Study day 1

  3. Circadian differences in composition of chemical analytes from the breath test

    The analytes present in breath samples after a short nap (in the Short Nap Intervention) will be analyzed for differences in chemical composition depending on time of day (circadian variation).

    Measured: Study day 1

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Jun 2019
  2. Study start28 Jan 2021
  3. Primary completion31 Jan 2025
  4. Study completion31 Mar 2025

Why it stopped: Funding to carry out studies no longer available.

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
5 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03980340
Sponsor's protocol ID
2019-P-001628
Status last verified
Jul 2025
First submitted
23 May 2019
Last updated
3 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Shift-Work Sleep Disorder and Shift Work Type Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder, run by Brigham and Women's Hospital at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study was stopped early (reason given: Funding to carry out studies no longer available.). Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Comparison of the change in composition of chemical analytes from the breath test (time frame: Study day 1). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Aug 2025.

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