Clinical trial NCT00781963: Implementing Sleep Interventions for Older Veterans
Official title: Implementing Sleep Interventions for Older Veterans
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Insomnia
Keywords: cognitive behavior therapy
insomnia
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2008-10-29
Enrollment: 519
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Sleep problems are common among older people, and research suggests that insomnia has negative effects on health and quality of life in older adults. Prior research suggests that insomnia symptoms are even more common among veterans compared to the general population. In addition, people with sleep problems also often have depression and other problems that seem to decrease their quality of life. In this study, we tested two methods of providing behavioral sleep interventions for treating insomnia in older veterans. The long-term objective of this work was to identify ways to improve access to these types of behavioral sleep interventions for older veterans, in order to improve their well-being and quality of life. This project was conducted in outpatient clinics of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Community-dwelling older veterans (aged 60 years and older) with insomnia were identified by a postal survey. Enrolled veterans with insomnia (N=150 total, 50 per group) were randomized to one of three groups: Individual-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (Individual-CBTI), Group-CBTI or a group-based Sleep Education Control Condition (Control). Measures of sleep, depression and quality of life were performed at baseline (enrollment in the study), after the treatment was completed, and at 6-months and 12-months follow-up after randomization. Main outcome measures included sleep/wake patterns (sleep questionnaires, sleep diary and wrist actigraphy, which is an objective estimate of sleep and wakefulness). We hypothesized that the intervention would improve sleep at six months follow-up. We also expected that these improvements would be maintained at 12-months follow-up.

Detailed description: Sleep disturbance is common among older people due to age-related changes in sleep, in addition to health conditions, psychosocial issues, medication effects and a variety of other factors that impact sleep. The evidence that insomnia has negative effects on health and quality of life in older adults is convincing. Prior research has demonstrated that insomnia symptoms are even more common among veterans compared to the general population. Our own work has demonstrated that sleep problems are associated with depressive symptoms and other impairments in quality of life in older people, and that nonpharmacological and behavioral interventions can improve sleep in a variety of settings.

Objectives: We tested two methods of providing behavioral sleep interventions for treating insomnia in older veterans. The long-term objective of this work was to identify ways to improve access to behavioral sleep interventions for older veterans, in order to improve their well-being and quality of life.

Methods: This project was conducted in outpatient clinics of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Community-dwelling older veterans (aged 60 years and older) with insomnia were identified by a postal survey. Enrolled veterans with insomnia (N=150, 50 per group) were randomized to one of three groups:Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (Individual-CBTI), Group-CBTI, or group-based Sleep Education Control Condition (Control). The intervention involved a manual-based behavioral sleep intervention provided by a non-clinician sleep coach. Baseline data included subjective and objective measures of sleep, and structured assessments of depression and quality of life. Post-treatment assessments was performed after completion of the 6-week intervention, and follow-up assessments were performed at 6-months and 12-months after randomization. Main outcome measures were: sleep measures obtained from sleep diaries (i.e., sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, total wake time, sleep efficiency). Sleep efficiency was also obtained from wrist actigraphy. Subjective sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Insomnia severity, depression and self-reported quality of life were measured as secondary outcomes. Data were analyzed for all randomized participants (n=159) in an intention to treat analysis. The study was not designed to compare differences in primary outcomes between individual and group CBT-I. Subjects who received individual and group CBT-I were pooled to form the intervention group. We hypothesized that the intervention would improve sleep (both objectively and subjectively) at six-month follow-up and improvements would be maintained at 12-month follow-up.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Report symptoms that meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia and are:

* age \>=60,
* community-dwelling,
* live within a 30-mile radius of VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLAHS), and
* have transportation to VA GLAHS to attend the intervention/control programs.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Significant cognitive impairment (MMSE score \<24) and have evidence of sleep apnea (by questionnaire and/or sleep monitoring).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Sleep Onset Latency
timeFrame: Six months after randomization
measure: Wake After Sleep Onset
timeFrame: Six months after randomization
measure: Total Wake Time
timeFrame: Six months after randomization
measure: Sleep Efficiency From Sleep Diary
timeFrame: Six months after randomization
measure: Sleep Efficiency From Wrist Actigraphy
timeFrame: Six months from randomization
measure: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
timeFrame: Six months after randomization
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Sepulveda
country: United States
facility: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA
state: California
Study officials:
affiliation: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA
name: Cathy A. Alessi, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Fung CH, Martin JL, Igodan U, Jouldjian S, Alessi C. The association between difficulty using positive airway pressure equipment and adherence to therapy: a pilot study. Sleep Breath. 2013 May;17(2):853-9. doi: 10.1007/s11325-012-0779-y. Epub 2012 Nov 13.
citation: Alessi C, Martin JL, Fiorentino L, Fung CH, Dzierzewski JM, Rodriguez Tapia JC, Song Y, Josephson K, Jouldjian S, Mitchell MN. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Older Veterans Using Nonclinician Sleep Coaches: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016 Sep;64(9):1830-8. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14304. Epub 2016 Aug 22.
citation: Fung CH, Martin JL, Josephson K, Fiorentino L, Dzierzewski JM, Jouldjian S, Song Y, Rodriguez Tapia JC, Mitchell MN, Alessi CA. Cognitive Expectancies for Hypnotic Use among Older Adult Veterans with Chronic Insomnia. Clin Gerontol. 2018 Mar-Apr;41(2):130-135. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2017.1356895. Epub 2017 Sep 29.
citation: Hughes JM, Song Y, Fung CH, Dzierzewski JM, Mitchell MN, Jouldjian S, Josephson KR, Alessi CA, Martin JL. Measuring Sleep in Vulnerable Older Adults: A Comparison of Subjective and Objective Sleep Measures. Clin Gerontol. 2018 Mar-Apr;41(2):145-157. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2017.1408734. Epub 2017 Dec 28.
citation: Yeung T, Martin JL, Fung CH, Fiorentino L, Dzierzewski JM, Rodriguez Tapia JC, Song Y, Josephson K, Jouldjian S, Mitchell MN, Alessi C. Sleep Outcomes With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Are Similar Between Older Adults With Low vs. High Self-Reported Physical Activity. Front Aging Neurosci. 2018 Sep 13;10:274. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00274. eCollection 2018.
citation: Song Y, Kelly MR, Fung CH, Dzierzewski JM, Grinberg AM, Mitchell MN, Josephson K, Martin JL, Alessi CA. Change in Dysfunctional Sleep-Related Beliefs is Associated with Changes in Sleep and Other Health Outcomes Among Older Veterans With Insomnia: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Behav Med. 2022 Jan 1;56(1):35-49. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab030.
citation: Dzierzewski JM, Martin JL, Fung CH, Song Y, Fiorentino L, Jouldjian S, Rodriguez JC, Mitchell M, Josephson K, Alessi CA. CBT for late-life insomnia and the accuracy of sleep and wake perceptions: Results from a randomized-controlled trial. J Sleep Res. 2019 Aug;28(4):e12809. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12809. Epub 2019 Jan 4.