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Audio-visual Stimulation for Sleep Promotion in Older Adults With Osteoarthritis Pain

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Insomnia Chronic
Osteoarthritis
Pain, Chronic
Interventions
Device: Audiovisual Stimulation
Registration Number
NCT03441191
Lead Sponsor
University of Washington
Brief Summary

Background and Purpose: The purpose of the study is to test the efficacy of an audio-visual stimulation program for sleep promotion in adults with chronic pain. The hypothesis is that hyper-arousal plays an important role in insomnia. Brainwave entrainment from 8 to 1 Hz reduces arousal, and thereby improves sleep. Improved sleep may change how people perceive pain.

Methods: Using a double-blind, randomized controlled trial design, we plan to enroll 30 adults (21-65 years old) experiencing both nonmalignant pain and insomnia. Exclusion criteria include: seizure disorder, sleep disorder, and night shift workers. After a one-week baseline measure, participants will be randomized to intervention or placebo group. Participants in both groups will be asked to self-administer the audio-visual stimulation program every night at bedtime for one month. Upon completion, post intervention measures will be collected.

Detailed Description

Background: The purpose of this pilot study was to test the efficacy of an open-looped Audio-visual Stimulation program (AVS) for sleep promotion in older adults with osteoarthritis pain. In this study, the AVS program was tested in a randomized controlled design. Specifically, this pilot study examined a 30-minute audio-visual stimulation program that gradually ramped from 10 Hz down to 2 Hz, to be used at bedtime for delta brainwave induction, in a randomized controlled design. The placebo control AVS program consisted of 30-minutes of constant dim light that slowly changed in color, and a steady monotone at ultra-low (\<1 Hz) frequency (outside of the entrainment range).

Method: A total of 30 older adults (mean age 68 ± 5.1, 90% women) with comorbid insomnia and osteoarthritis pain participated in this 2-week study. Participants were randomly assigned to either AVS active program or AVS placebo control program. After the baseline assessment (which included questionnaires \[sleep, pain, depression\], and quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) during AVS induction), participants were asked to self-administer their group specific AVS program nightly at bedtime for two weeks. Post-treatment questionnaires (sleep, pain, depression) were then collected.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
30
Inclusion Criteria
  • 60 years or older
  • Having difficulty sleeping over the past three months (Insomnia Severity Index ≥ 8)
  • Having osteoarthritis pain (Brief Pain Inventory Worst pain ≥ 4)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Working night shift
  • Previously diagnosed with a primary sleep disorder (Sleep Apnea or Restless Leg Syndrome).
  • Seizure disorder
  • Photosensitivity
  • Dementia
  • Diagnosis or other significant chronic illness beyond OA that would impact sleep
  • Severe psychiatric disorder including a history of or current diagnosis of psychosis

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Placebo Control AVSAudiovisual StimulationThe placebo control AVS program consists of 30 minutes of constant dim light that slowly changes in color, and a steady monotone at ultra-low (\<1 Hz) frequency (outside of the entrainment range).
Active AVSAudiovisual StimulationActive AVS consists of a 30-minute pulsing lights (red, green, blue) and sounds that gradually descend from alpha (10 Hz) to delta (2 Hz).
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Insomnia of Severity Index2 weeks post baseline

A 7-item questionnaire that is a global measure of perceived insomnia severity. Items use a 5-point scale for total scores of 0-28, with \>15 considered moderate severity. The ISI has good internal consistency and is sensitive to changes in sleep of older adults in clinical and research.

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)2 weeks post baseline

Self-rating of overall sleep quality and disturbances using 7 sleep components. A PSQI global score \>5 is highly sensitive and specific for distinguishing good and poor sleepers.

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) short form2 weeks post baseline

The BPI is a 9-item questionnaire that assesses severity of pain, impact of pain on daily function, location of pain, pain medications and amount of pain relief in the past 24 hours or the past week.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Patient Health Questionnaire2 weeks post baseline

The PHQ-9 is a 9-item reliable, valid, measure that rates depression symptom severity on a 4-point scale.

Sleep Diarybaseline through 2 weeks post baseline

The sleep diary is a two-page sleep log with standard fill in the blank questions about the quantity and quality of the previous night of sleep, including Time to Bed, Sleep Latency, Number of Awakenings, Wake After Sleep Onset time, Total Sleep Time, and Time out of Bed. The diary also includes questions about the causes of sleep difficulties and ratings of daytime fatigue and sleepiness.

Actigraphybaseline through 2 weeks post baseline

Sleep and wake pattern (actigraph) will be measured by Philips Respironics Actiwatch-2. Actigraphy is a reliable and objective tool to monitor sleep-wake cycles in ambulatory individuals (including older adults) based on frequency and magnitude of movements.

Quantitative Electroencephalogram (QEEG)baseline

Cortical activity will be evaluated using a 19-channel quantitative electroencephalographic system (Discovery 24E, BrainMaster)30 with a standard electrode cap that has 22 sensors attaching to the scalp.

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