Army abuzz over WSU research on sleep – Pentagon awards $1.5 million for cooperative research program in Spokane

Call this coming attraction "Sleeping in Spokane."

The Army thinks this city may be just the kind of snoozy place to do advanced research on sleep.

John Stucke
Spokesman Review Staff writer

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=121703&ID=s1456571&cat=section.business

This week, Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Spokane, announced that the Department of Defense awarded $1.5 million to Washington State University for cooperative sleep research with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center of Washington, D.C.

The Army wants to know more about sleep. Specifically, it wants to better understand the onset of sleep deprivation, a serious issue for the military.

During the funding announcement this week, Col. Greg Belenky of Walter Reed gave examples highlighting the dangers soldiers face when deprived of sleep.

One was during the Gulf War 13 years ago when U.S. soldiers in tank combat fired on each other.

A lack of sleep, along with stress and other factors, was blamed for the friendly fire incident. No Americans were killed.

A second example involved sleepy pilots attempting to land an aircraft at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. That plane crashed, although no one was hurt.

One aim of the research would be to unravel when performance and sleep deprivation collide, said Dennis Dyck, associate dean of research at WSU-Spokane.

This could result in a device that monitors when a person is falling into a range of drowsiness that makes some tasks unsafe, he said.

Another goal may be developing drugs.

The military is interested in helping soldiers get the right kind of rest with a better sleeping pill. Or the opposite, keeping them not just awake, but awake and alert enough to make good decisions.

"Think about it. (The military) sticks people on an airplane, flies them around for 18 hours, drops them off and then asks them to go do dangerous things under severe sleep deprivation," Dyck said.

The money granted to WSU should mostly come to Spokane through the hiring of a lead researcher and staff, Dyck said. He is heading the interview process.

Some of the money may end up in Pullman or other communities if work needs to be done there.

Dyck also serves as a coordinator of the Spokane Alliance for Medical Research, an umbrella group of businesses, colleges and local organizations trying to build Spokane into a research center.

Dyck said the research might lead to other federally funded projects in Spokane.

"This money is going to buy for Spokane an opportunity to recruit top human sleep researchers who will move here and build a program for research," Dyck said. "The success will lead to other opportunities."

The Army-funded research could have private-sector benefits as well. Dyck alluded to truck drivers, medical emergency personnel, power plant operators and airline pilots — all workers who depend on clear decision-making in the interest of public safety.

Nethercutt, who helped bring the money to Spokane through his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, said he expected the money to produce tangible results.

Sleep research in Spokane already is being done by area hospitals, private businesses and Washington State University.

Nethercutt called the money a big economic development boost.

He envisions more sleep money and perhaps advanced diabetes and cancer research dollars flowing into the city from the federal government once Spokane can establish itself as a credible research center.

• John Stucke can be reached at (509) 459-5419 or by e-mail at [email protected].