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Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Worry, Uncertainty, and Insomnia for Cancer Survivors

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Cognitive-behavioral Therapy
Esophageal Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Anxiety Disorder
Sleep Disorders
Fatigue
Worry
Uncertainty
Pain
Psychological Intervention
Interventions
Behavioral: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for worry, uncertainty & insomnia
Registration Number
NCT01929720
Lead Sponsor
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Brief Summary

This randomized clinical trial studies a cognitive-behavioral intervention to treat worry, uncertainty, and insomnia in cancer survivors. Counseling may reduce anxiety and insomnia as well as improve the well-being and quality of life of cancer survivors. This study also explores the neuro-immunologic correlates of anxiety and insomnia.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To complete a randomized pilot trial of a cognitive-behavioral anxiety-insomnia intervention to determine the impact of this intervention on patient worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and sleep efficiency.

II. Explore the underlying endocrine and immune mechanisms responsible for a specific symptom cluster (anxiety-insomnia-depression-pain-fatigue) observed among advanced cancer patients.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

ARM I: Patients wear a wrist actigraph, collect saliva samples, and complete a sleep diary and worry record daily in weeks 1 and 5. Patients also receive education on the components of anxiety (physical cognitive, and behavioral) and practice relaxation techniques and behavioral sleep strategies in weeks 2-5. Blood draw is optional.

ARM II: Patients wear a wrist actigraph, collect saliva samples, and complete a sleep diary and worry record daily in weeks 1 and 5. Blood draw is also optional. This is a wait-list control arm, so patients in this arm, after a six-week period of treatment as usual with their oncologist, then receive the intervention.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
33
Inclusion Criteria
  • lung cancer
  • stage III or IV colorectal cancer
  • pancreatic cancer
  • esophageal cancer
  • multiple myeloma
  • leukemia
  • stage IIIC and IV melanoma
  • ovarian cancer
  • stage III & IV cervical cancer
  • stage III & IV uterine cancer
  • stage IIIB, IIIC, and IV breast cancer
  • glioblastoma multiforme
  • early relapse (< 1 year) lymphoma
Exclusion Criteria
  • co-morbid immunologic disease (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus)
  • neurologic disease (i.e. multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's) that would affect neuro-immune assessment or completion of study questionnaires
  • mania (if patient has bipolar disorder)
  • active substance abuse disorders such as alcohol dependence and cocaine abuse will also be excluded

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Arm I (CBT for worry, uncertainty & insomnia)Cognitive-behavioral therapy for worry, uncertainty & insomniaPatients wear a wrist actigraph and complete a sleep diary and worry record daily in weeks 1 and 5. Patients participate in a Behavioral Intervention (cognitive-behavioral therapy) in which they receive education on the components of anxiety (physical cognitive, and behavioral) and practice relaxation techniques and behavioral sleep strategies in weeks 2-5.
Arm II (wait-list control)Cognitive-behavioral therapy for worry, uncertainty & insomniaPatients wear a wrist actigraph and complete a sleep diary and worry record daily in weeks 1 and 5. This is a wait-list comparison, so after six weeks, patients in the control group complete the behavioral (cognitive-behavioral therapy)intervention for worry, uncertainty, and insomnia.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes in worry on the Penn State Worry QuestionnaireFrom baseline to 6 weeks

A linear mixed model will be used to evaluate the change from pre to post on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. The model will include group (treatment vs. control), time (pre vs. post), and group-time interaction effects. If the outcome measure is not normally distributed with equal variance across groups, then the outcomes will be log transformed in order to meet these assumptions for the mixed models.

Changes in sleep efficiency on the Insomnia Severity IndexFrom baseline to 6 weeks

A linear mixed model will be used to evaluate the change from pre to post on the Insomnia Severity Index. The model will include group (treatment vs. control), time (pre vs. post), and group-time interaction effects. If the outcome measure is not normally distributed with equal variance across groups, then this outcome will be log transformed in order to meet these assumptions for the mixed models.

Changes in intolerance of uncertainty on the Intolerance of Uncertainty ScaleFrom baseline to 6 weeks

A linear mixed model will be used to evaluate the change from pre to post on the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale . The model will include group (treatment vs. control), time (pre vs. post), and group-time interaction effects. If the outcome measure is not normally distributed with equal variance across groups, then the outcome will be log transformed in order to meet these assumptions for the mixed models.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Levels of cortisolBaseline

This is an exploratory hypothesis. We are using only baseline data to estimate the correlation between the continuous anxiety scale (STAI scores range from 20 - 80) and plasma and serum cortisol.

Levels of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokinesBaseline

This is an exploratory hypothesis. We are using only baseline data to estimate the correlation between the continuous anxiety scale (STAI scores range from 20 - 80) and pro and anti inflammatory cytokines.

Levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC)Baseline

This is an exploratory hypothesis. We are using only baseline data to estimate the correlation between the continuous anxiety scale (STAI scores range from 20 - 80) and myeloid-derived suppressor values.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University Department of Psychiatry

🇺🇸

Columbus, Ohio, United States

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