The Feasibility of Measuring Sleep and Circadian Characteristics in Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Morning light treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: a clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects over 3 million Americans and has a relapsing and remitting course with up to 30% of patients experiencing exacerbations each year despite the availability of immune targeted therapies. An urgent need exists to develop adjunctive treatment approaches to better manage IBD symptoms and disease activity. Circadian disruption is associated with increased disease activity and may be an important modifiable treatment target for IBD. Morning light treatment, which advances and stabilizes circadian timing, may have the potential to improve IBD symptoms and disease activity, but no studies have explored these potential therapeutic benefits in IBD. Therefore, in this study, we aim to test the effectiveness of morning light treatment for patients with IBD.

METHODS

We will recruit sixty-eight individuals with biopsy-proven IBD and clinical symptoms and randomize them to 4-weeks of morning light treatment or 4-weeks of treatment as usual (TAU), with equivalent study contact. Patient-reported outcomes (IBD-related quality of life, mood, sleep), clinician-rated disease severity, and a biomarker of gastrointestinal inflammation (fecal calprotectin) will be assessed before and after treatment. Our primary objective will be to test the effect of morning light treatment versus TAU on IBD-related quality of life and our secondary objectives will be to test the effects on clinician-rated disease activity, depression, and sleep quality. We will also explore the effect of morning light treatment versus TAU on a biomarker of gastrointestinal inflammation (fecal calprotectin), and the potential moderating effects of steroid use, restless leg syndrome, and biological sex.

DISCUSSION

Morning light treatment may be an acceptable, feasible, and effective adjunctive treatment for individuals with active IBD suffering from impaired health-related quality of life.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study protocol was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT06094608 on October 23, 2023, before recruitment began on February 1, 2024.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Pain Interference: A Conceptual Model for the Role of Insomnia, Fatigue, and Pain Catastrophizing

Background

People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly experience pain influenced by complex interactions among factors, including disease activity, sleep, psychopathology, and changes in pain processing pathways. Treatments for pain in IBD are limited, highlighting the need for research that explores modifiable factors linked to pain. The aim of this study was to investigate relationships among multiple patient factors and to construct a conceptual model for pain interference in IBD.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of adults with IBD. Study domains included demographic, comorbidity, psychological, IBD, insomnia, fatigue, and pain features. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine relationships and interactions among active IBD, insomnia, fatigue, pain experiences (severity, catastrophizing, and interference), and additional patient factors (demographics and psychological).

Results

One hundred and seventy-four participants, aged 18-85 years, reported the presence of pain. Combining the questionnaire data using SEM resulted in a final model with an excellent fit (χ 2(8) = 9.579, P = .297, χ 2/N = 1.197, CFIN = 0.997, TLI = 0.987, RMSEA = 0.034). The presence of anxiety and depression was the additional patient factors to be retained in the path analysis. SEM results indicated that greater pain interference was directly influenced by greater fatigue, worse pain catastrophizing, and worse pain severity. Pain interference was indirectly impacted by IBD activity, worse insomnia, and the presence of depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

The proposed conceptual model highlights the role of multiple potentially modifiable factors, including insomnia, pain catastrophizing, and fatigue, contributing to worse pain interference in people with IBD.