A Non-Pharmacological Method for Enhancing Sleep in PTSD
1 other identifier
interventional
90
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Sleep disturbance is nearly ubiquitous among individuals suffering from PTSD and is a major problem among service members returning from combat deployments. The proposed study aims to test a novel, inexpensive, and easy to use approach to improving sleep among service members with PTSD. Primary outcome measures will include not only PTSD symptom improvement but also include neuroimaging of brain structure, function, connectivity, and neurochemistry changes. The proposal is firmly grounded in the emerging scientific literature regarding sleep, light exposure, brain function, anxiety, and resilience. Prior evidence suggests that bright light therapy is effective for improving mood and fatigue, and our pilot data further suggest that this treatment may be effective for improving daytime sleepiness and brain functioning in brain injured individuals. Thus, this intervention, in our own research and in the work of others, has been shown to affect critical sleep regulatory systems. Improving sleep may be a vital component of recovery in these service members. Our approach would directly address this issue. Our preliminary data have shown that this approach is extremely well tolerated and is effective for improving sleep, mood, cognitive performance, and brain function among individuals with brain injuries. Finally, the potential impact of this study is high because of the capability of transitioning the research to direct clinical application almost immediately. If the bright light treatment is demonstrated as effective, this approach would be readily available for nearly immediate large-scale implementation, as the devices have been widely used for years in other contexts, are already safety tested, and commercially available from several manufacturers for a very low cost. Thus, the impact of this research on treating PTSD would be high and immediate.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable
Started Sep 2014
Longer than P75 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
September 1, 2014
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
October 15, 2014
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
February 24, 2015
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
April 1, 2020
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
April 1, 2020
CompletedResults Posted
Study results publicly available
June 23, 2023
CompletedJune 23, 2023
May 1, 2023
5.6 years
October 15, 2014
November 4, 2022
May 31, 2023
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (8)
Sleep Efficiency
Actigraphy was used as a measurement of individual sleep efficiency calculating total sleep time (minutes asleep) divided by total rest time (time in bed- minutes in bed). This produces a percentage efficiency calculation that can range 0-100%, higher percentages indicates more time asleep while in bed.
Sleep Efficiency was calculated at Baseline (Pre-Treatment) and Post-Treatment (6 Weeks after Baseline)
Subjective Sleep Quality
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index is a measurement of subjective self-report sleep quality that uses both free response and Likert scale responses. The range of scores possible are 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate worse subjective sleep quality.
Results 6 weeks post-treatment
Neural Activation During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Emotion Processing Task
Activation of medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (also prefrontal) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Backward Masked Affect Task (BMAT) emotion processing task. Contrast weight/effect scores for prefrontal area \[MNI coordinates: 18,42,12\] measured contrasts in activation between neutral images and activation when emotional images (fear images) were presented during the task. Higher scores indicate a greater difference or contrast between the neutral signal and emotional signal during the fMRI task.
Baseline (Pre-Treatment) and Post-Treatment (6 Weeks after Baseline)
Performance on Neuropsychological Assessment
The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status will be utilized to measure overall neurocognitive performance. It covers five domains of cognition: Immediate Memory, Visuospatial/Constructional, Language, Attention, and Delayed Memory resulting in a total neurocognitive performance score. The range of overall total neurocognitive performance scores is 40-160 points. Higher scores on this scale represent a higher capacity for executive function.
Performance results at 6 weeks post-treatment.
PTSD Symptoms
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist 5 (PCL-5).The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms. Items are summed to provide a total severity score (range = 0-80). Higher scores indicate greater presence or severity of PTSD symptoms.
Performance results at 6 weeks post-treatment.
Daytime Sleepiness (ESS)
Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a subjective measure of daytime sleepiness. This is on a 4-point Likert scale, each item has a range of 0 to 3 points. The total score range for this is 0-24 points. Higher scores indicate more severe daytime sleepiness.
Performance results at 6 weeks post-treatment
Daytime Sleepiness (SSS)
Stanford Sleepiness Scale is a one item scale assessing current level of alertness. The range of points possible is 1-7, with higher scores indicating that sleep onset is soon. This scale was given at three different time points during baseline assessment and post treatment.
Performance results at 6 weeks post-treatment.
Daytime Sleepiness (MSLT)
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). Participants were administered a modified Multiple Sleep Latency Test. In the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), the participant was given 3 opportunities to nap for 20 minutes every two hours. Sleep latency scores are calculated in the number of seconds to fall asleep during their mandated sleep session. Range is from 0 seconds to 1200 seconds.
Change from baseline performance at 6 weeks (post-treatment)
Study Arms (2)
PTSD wavelength-1 bright light
EXPERIMENTAL30 minutes of daily light exposure for 6 weeks
PTSD wavelength-2 bright light
PLACEBO COMPARATOR30 minutes of daily light exposure for 6 weeks
Interventions
6 weeks of daily light exposure, 30 minutes per morning.
6 weeks daily light exposure, 30 minutes per morning.
Eligibility Criteria
Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
University of Arizona Psychiatry Department
Tucson, Arizona, 85724, United States
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Results Point of Contact
- Title
- Dr. William D. "Scott" Killgore
- Organization
- University of Arizona
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
William Killgore, Ph.D.
University of Arizona
Publication Agreements
- PI is Sponsor Employee
- Yes
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- DOUBLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Principal Investigator
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
October 15, 2014
First Posted
February 24, 2015
Study Start
September 1, 2014
Primary Completion
April 1, 2020
Study Completion
April 1, 2020
Last Updated
June 23, 2023
Results First Posted
June 23, 2023
Record last verified: 2023-05