Clinical trial NCT03682185: The Healthy Patterns Sleep Study
Official title: The Role of Palliative Care Interventions to Reduce Circadian Rhythm Disorders in Persons With Dementia: The Healthy Patterns Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Dementia
Alzheimer Disease
Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder
Insomnia
Hypersomnia
Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive Decline
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Frontotemporal Dementia
Neurocognitive Disorders
Vascular Dementia
Sleep Disorder
Memory Impairment
Keywords: Neuropsychiatric Behaviors
Agitation
Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia
Lead sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-09-24
Enrollment: 421
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 110
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The Healthy Patterns Study intervention is a home-based activity intervention designed to improve symptoms of circadian rhythm disorders (CRD) and quality of life (QOL) in home-dwelling persons with dementia. We will use a randomized two-group parallel design of 200 people with dementia and their caregivers assigned to intervention or attention control groups.

Detailed description: Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative condition, affecting close to 15 million family caregivers (CG). Circadian rhythm disorders (CRDs) occur in the majority of persons with dementia and include late afternoon/evening agitation (e.g. sundowning) and irregular sleep-wake rhythms such as daytime hypersomnia, frequent night awakenings, and poor sleep efficiency. CRDs can cause a specific cluster of neuropsychiatric symptoms that occur in over 60 percent of patients with dementia and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and decreased quality of life. Regulating the circadian system via different types of activity have been shown to alter core clock processes that drive CRD symptoms and suggests that a combination of cognitive, physical, and sensory-based activities, delivered at strategic times, may be an effective mechanism to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms, decrease sleep disruptions, and enhance quality of life for both the care receiver and the caregiver.

Specific components of this brief, one-month, eight sessions, home-based intervention include: 1) assessing PWD health/functional status and preferences/interests; 2) educating caregivers on environmental cues to promote activity and sleep; and 3) training of caregivers in using timed morning, afternoon, and evening activities based on circadian needs across the day.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion criteria for care receiver (CR):

1. be over age 60
2. English speaking
3. be able to tolerate wrist actigraphy (wear a watch on their wrist for a month)
4. diagnosed with dementia using standard assessments and diagnostic criteria
5. has CG reporting the presence of CRD symptoms
6. If the CR is on any of four classes of psychotropic medications (antidepressant, benzodiazepines, antipsychotic, or anti-convulsant) or an anti-dementia medication (memantine or a cholinesterase inhibitor), we will require that the CR have been on a stable dose for 90 days prior to enrollment (typical time frame in clinical trials) to minimize possible confounding effects of concomitant medications

Inclusion criteria for caregiver (CG):

1. CG is at least 18 years old
2. CG lives close to the participant
3. CG is planning to live in the area for at least 6 months
4. If CG is on a psychotropic medication, CG must be on a stable dose for at least 60 days

Exclusion criteria for CR:

1. deemed to be in a crisis/unsafe situation at baseline
2. reported planned transition to another residential or care setting in less than 6 months
3. at end-stage disease (defined as bed-bound and noncommunicative, or on hospice at baseline)
4. currently enrolled in an interventional clinical trial for dementia or associated symptoms
5. regular use of medications with substantial known effects on the measurement of HPA activity (e.g. corticosteroids, interferons, beta-blockers, cytotoxic chemotherapy)
6. major surgery in the past 3 months
7. history of major psychiatric and/or personality disorder
8. history of heavy cigarette smoking (e.g. than 50 pack years)
9. loss of a loved one in the past 3 months
10. conditions known to affect measurement of circadian rhythm such as use of sedatives/ hypnotics, Huntington's disease, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, Parkinson's disease, advanced heart failure (New York Heart Stage 3-4), morbid obesity (BMI 35)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD) Scale
timeFrame: Baseline and 1 month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)
timeFrame: 4 Months
Other outcomes:
measure: Circadian Rhythm Symptoms From Actigraphy
timeFrame: 30 days
Locations:
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: University of Pennsylvania
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Pennsylvania
name: Nancy A. Hodgson
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Hodgson NA, Granger DA. Collecting saliva and measuring salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase in frail community residing older adults via family caregivers. J Vis Exp. 2013 Dec 18;(82):e50815. doi: 10.3791/50815.
citation: Hodgson NA, Gitlin LN, Winter L, Czekanski K. Undiagnosed illness and neuropsychiatric behaviors in community residing older adults with dementia. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2011 Apr-Jun;25(2):109-15. doi: 10.1097/WAD.0b013e3181f8520a.
citation: Hodgson NA, Andersen S. The clinical efficacy of reflexology in nursing home residents with dementia. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Apr;14(3):269-75. doi: 10.1089/acm.2007.0577.
citation: Hirschman KB, Hodgson NA. Evidence-Based Interventions for Transitions in Care for Individuals Living With Dementia. Gerontologist. 2018 Jan 18;58(suppl_1):S129-S140. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnx152.
citation: Samus QM, Black BS, Bovenkamp D, Buckley M, Callahan C, Davis K, Gitlin LN, Hodgson N, Johnston D, Kales HC, Karel M, Kenney JJ, Ling SM, Panchal M, Reuland M, Willink A, Lyketsos CG. Home is where the future is: The BrightFocus Foundation consensus panel on dementia care. Alzheimers Dement. 2018 Jan;14(1):104-114. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.10.006. Epub 2017 Nov 21.
citation: Regier NG, Hodgson NA, Gitlin LN. Characteristics of Activities for Persons With Dementia at the Mild, Moderate, and Severe Stages. Gerontologist. 2017 Oct 1;57(5):987-997. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw133.
citation: Gitlin LN, Piersol CV, Hodgson N, Marx K, Roth DL, Johnston D, Samus Q, Pizzi L, Jutkowitz E, Lyketsos CG. Reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons with dementia and associated burden in family caregivers using tailored activities: Design and methods of a randomized clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2016 Jul;49:92-102. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2016.06.006. Epub 2016 Jun 21.
citation: Hodgson NA, Gooneratne N, Perez A, Talwar S, Huang L. A timed activity protocol to address sleep-wake disorders in home dwelling persons living with dementia: the healthy patterns clinical trial. BMC Geriatr. 2021 Aug 3;21(1):451. doi: 10.1186/s12877-021-02397-2.
citation: Hwang Y, Connell LM, Rajpara AR, Hodgson NA. Impact of COVID-19 on Dementia Caregivers and Factors Associated With their Anxiety Symptoms. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2021 Jan-Dec;36:15333175211008768. doi: 10.1177/15333175211008768.