Pain intensity as a moderator of the association between opioid use and insomnia symptoms among adults with chronic pain

Insomnia symptoms and neurofunctional correlates among adults receiving buprenorphine for opioid use disorder

OBJECTIVES

Insomnia symptoms are negatively related to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment outcomes, possibly reflecting the influence of sleep on neurofunctional domains implicated in addiction. Moreover, the intersection between OUD recovery and sleep represents an area well-suited for the development of novel, personalized treatment strategies. This study assessed the prevalence of clinically significant insomnia symptoms and characterized its neurofunctional correlates among a clinical sample of adults with OUD receiving buprenorphine.

METHODS

Adults (N = 129) receiving buprenorphine for OUD from an outpatient clinic participated in a cross-sectional survey. Participants completed an abbreviated version of NIDA's Phenotyping Assessment Battery, which assessed 6 neurofunctional domains: sleep, negative emotionality, metacognition, interoception, cognition, and reward. Bivariate descriptive statistics compared those with evidence of clinically significant insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI] score of ≥11) to those with minimal evidence of clinically significant insomnia symptoms (ISI score of ≤10) across each of the neurofunctional domains.

RESULTS

Roughly 60% of participants reported clinically significant insomnia symptoms (ISI score of ≥11). Experiencing clinically significant insomnia symptoms was associated with reporting greater levels of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, stress intolerance, unhelpful metacognition, and interoceptive awareness (ps<0.05). Participants with evidence of clinically significant insomnia were more likely to report that poor sleep was interfering with their OUD treatment and that improved sleep would assist with their treatment (ps<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Insomnia was prevalent among adults receiving buprenorphine for OUD. Insomnia was associated with neurofunctional performance, which may impact OUD treatment trajectories. Our findings indicate potential targets in the development of personalized treatment plans for patients with co-morbid insomnia and OUD. To inform the development of novel treatment strategies, more research is needed to understand the potential mechanistic links between sleep disturbances and substance use.

Stressful Life Events and Patterns of Polysubstance Use Among U.S. Late Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Latent Class Analysis

The goals of this study were to identify patterns of polysubstance use and their associations with stressful life events among U.S. late middle-aged and older adults and examine whether gender moderates these associations. Adults aged 50 and older (N = 14,738) from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III were included. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify patterns of polysubstance use. Weighted multinomial logistic regression was estimated with a generalized structural equation model. Three different polysubstance use patterns (non-users/low substance users; cannabis and excessive alcohol users; painkiller and sedative/tranquilizer misusers) were identified. Higher levels of stressful life events were associated with patterns of polysubstance use. Gender moderated the association between stressful life events and co-misusing painkillers and sedatives/tranquilizers (p < 0.05). Substance use prevention efforts should consider aging adults' patterns of polysubstance use and associated stressful life events when designing and implementing gender-specific polysubstance use prevention interventions.

Clonidine is better than zopiclone for insomnia treatment in chronic pain patients

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Chronic pain is associated with insomnia. The objective of this clinical study is to compare the efficacy and safety of different prescribed doses of zopiclone and clonidine; for the management of insomnia in patients with chronic pain.

METHODS

A prospective observational crossover study of 160 consenting adult patients who underwent pain management. For insomnia treatment, each patient ingested different prescribed doses of zopiclone or clonidine on alternate nights. Each patient used a special validated sleep diary to collect data including pain score, sleep scores, sleep duration, sleep medication dose, and adverse effects. Each patient completed the diary for 3 continuous weeks. Pain was measured using the numeric pain rating scale. Sleep score was measured using the Likert sleep scale. A change in the pain or sleep scores by 2-points was considered significant. Of the 160 study participants, 150 (93.8%) completed the study successfully; and their data were analyzed. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 25 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY); using Student's t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Chi-square test, and regression analysis. P-value <0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Pain score was lower with clonidine than zopiclone (p=0.025). Time to fall asleep was shorter with clonidine than zopiclone (p=0.001). Feeling rested on waking in the morning was better with clonidine than zopiclone (p=0.015). Overall sleep quality was better with clonidine than zopiclone (p=0.015). Total Likert sleep score was better with clonidine than zopiclone (p=0.005). Total sleep duration was better with clonidine than zopiclone (p=0.013). Adverse effects were commoner with zopiclone; including collapse, fall, confusion, amnesia, mood disorder, hallucination, nightmare, nocturnal restlessness, locomotor dysfunction, hunger, nausea and headache. Minor adverse effect of dry mouth was commoner with clonidine.

CONCLUSIONS

Clonidine is significantly better than zopiclone regarding sleep quality, analgesia, tolerability profile, and patient safety. Further studies will be beneficial to compare clonidine with other insomnia medications.

Daily associations between sleep and opioid use among adults with comorbid symptoms of insomnia and fibromyalgia

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Disturbed sleep and use of opioid pain medication are common among individuals with chronic pain. Anecdotally, opioids are thought to promote sleep by relieving pain. This study aimed to determine whether opioid use is associated with daily sleep parameters (and vice versa) in adults with comorbid symptoms of insomnia and fibromyalgia.

METHODS

Individuals reporting symptoms of insomnia and opioid use for fibromyalgia (n = 65, 93% women, 79% White) wore wrist actigraphy and completed daily diaries for 14 days (910 observations). Analyses examined daily associations between opioid dose (measured in lowest recommended dosage units) and three sleep parameters (actigraphy/self-reported total wake time and self-reported sleep quality). Multilevel models were used to account for the clustering of daily sleep and opioid assessments (level 1) within individuals (level 2).

RESULTS

Opioid use did not have a significant daily effect on total wake time or sleep quality, and sleep parameters did not significantly impact opioid use the next day; however, participants reported worse sleep quality and greater doses of opioids on evenings that they experienced greater pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Among adults reporting symptoms of insomnia and opioid use for fibromyalgia pain, opioid use is not reliably associated with wake time or sleep quality that night, and these sleep parameters are not significantly associated with opioid use the next day; however, evening pain has an adverse daily impact on both sleep quality and opioid use. Studies identifying strategies to prevent and manage fibromyalgia pain are needed, especially for individuals reporting comorbid insomnia and opioid use.

Insomnia severity and depressive symptoms in people living with HIV and chronic pain: associations with opioid use

Chronic pain commonly occurs in people living with HIV (PLWH). Many PLWH in the United States obtain opioids for chronic pain management. Whether insomnia severity and depressive symptoms are exacerbated by chronic pain and opioid use in PLWH remains to be determined. This study examined insomnia severity and depressive symptoms in 85 PLWH with chronic pain and 35 PLWH without chronic pain. Among PLWH with chronic pain, reported opioid use was examined in relation to insomnia severity and depressive symptoms. PLWH with chronic pain reported significantly greater insomnia severity (p = .033) and depressive symptoms (p = .025) than PLWH without chronic pain. Among PLWH with chronic pain who reported opioid use (n = 36), insomnia severity was greater compared to those who denied opioid use (n = 49), even after controlling for pain severity and number of comorbidities (p = .026). Greater pain severity was significantly associated with greater insomnia severity (p < .001) and depressive symptoms (p = .048) among PLWH with chronic pain who reported opioid use. These associations were not significant among those PLWH with chronic pain who denied opioid use. Findings suggest that PLWH with chronic pain are likely to experience poor sleep and depressed mood. Furthermore, poor sleep was associated with opioid use among PLWH with chronic pain.

Opioid use, pain intensity, age, and sleep architecture in patients with fibromyalgia and insomnia

Opioid use and sleep disruption are prevalent in fibromyalgia. Yet, the effects of opioids on physiological sleep in fibromyalgia are unclear. This study assessed associations between opioid use/dosage and polysomnographically assessed sleep in patients with fibromyalgia and insomnia (FMI) and examined moderating effects of age and pain. Participants (N = 193, Mage = 51.7, SD = 11.8, range = 18-77) with FMI completed ambulatory polysomnography and 14 daily diaries. Multiple regression determined whether commonly prescribed oral opioid use or dosage (among users) independently predicted or interacted with age/pain intensity to predict sleep, controlling for sleep medication use and apnea hypopnea index. Opioid use predicted greater %stage 2 and lower %slow-wave sleep (%SWS). Opioid use interacted with age to predict greater sleep onset latency (SOL) in middle-aged/older adults. Among opioid users (n = 65, ∼3 years usage), opioid dose (measured in lowest recommended dosage) interacted with age to predict SOL and sleep efficiency; specifically, higher dosage predicted longer SOL and lower sleep efficiency for older, but not middle-aged/younger adults. Opioid dose interacted with pain to predict %SWS and arousal index. Specifically, higher dosage predicted reduced %SWS and higher arousal index for individuals with lower pain, increased %SWS for individuals with higher pain, and did not predict %SWS for patients with average pain. Opioid use/dosage did not predict wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, %stage 1 or %rapid eye movement sleep. Opioid use prompts changes in sleep architecture among individuals with FMI, increasing lighter sleep and reducing SWS. Sleep disruption is exacerbated at higher opioid doses in older adults and patients with low pain.