New guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of insomnia

Prescribing and deprescribing guidance for benzodiazepine and benzodiazepine receptor agonist use in adults with depression, anxiety, and insomnia: an international scoping review

Background

Clinical practice guidelines and guidance documents routinely offer prescribing clinicians' recommendations and instruction on the use of psychotropic drugs for mental illness. We sought to characterise parameters relevant to prescribing and deprescribing of benzodiazepine (BZD) and benzodiazepine receptor agonist (BZRA), in clinical practice guidelines and guidance documents internationally, for adult patients with unipolar depression, anxiety disorders and insomnia to understand similarities and discrepancies between evidence-based expert opinion.

Methods

A Scoping Review was conducted to characterize documents that offered evidence-based and/or consensus pharmacologic guidance on the management of unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders and insomnia. A systematic search was conducted of PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycINFO and CINAHL from inception to October 13, 2023 and supplemented by a gray literature search. Documents were screened in Covidence for eligibility. Subsequent data-charting on eligible documents collected information on aspects of both prescribing and deprescribing.

Findings

113 documents offering guidance on BZD/BZRA use were data-charted. Overall, documents gathered were from Asia (n = 11), Europe (n = 34), North America (n = 37), Oceania (n = 7), and South America (n = 4) with the remainder being "International" (n = 20) and not representative to any particular region or country. By condition the documents reviewed covered unipolar depressive disorders (n = 28), anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 42) and Insomnia (n = 25). Few documents (n = 18) were sufficiently specific and complete to consider as de-prescribing focused documents.

Interpretation

Documents were in concordance in terms of BZD and BZRA not being used routinely as first-line pharmacologic agents. When used, it is advisable to restrict their duration to "short-term" use with the most commonly recommended duration being less than four weeks. Documents were less consistent in terms of prescriptive recommendations for specific drug, dosing and administration pattern (i.e regular or 'as needed') selection for each condition. Deprescribing documents were unanimously in favor of gradual dose reduction and patient shared decision-making. However, approaches towards dose-tapering differed substantially. Finally, there were inconsistencies and/or insufficiency of detail, among deprescribing documents, in terms of switching to a long-acting BZD, use of adjunctive pharmacotherapies and micro-tapering.

Funding

The authors received no funding for this work.

Effect of Electroacupuncture Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perimenopausal Insomnia: Protocol for a Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Perimenopausal insomnia (PMI) has a high global incidence, which is common in middle-aged women and is more severe than nonmenopausal insomnia. Effective treatments with fewer side effects and more consistent repeatable results are needed. Acupuncture, a therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine, is safe and may be effective for PMI. It is widely accepted in Western countries, and evidence supports the use of acupuncture as a main or supplementary therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also used to improve sleep quality. It has structured sessions and has been recommended as a first-line treatment for insomnia (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia [CBT-I]) by the American Association of Physicians. However, few randomized controlled trials have been conducted to compare the effectiveness of these 2 therapies. This study will be performed in perimenopausal women with insomnia to determine the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) versus CBT-I.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the preliminary effectiveness and safety of EA and CBT-I for PMI through a randomized controlled noninferiority study design.

METHODS

This study is designed as an assessor-blinded, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial. A total of 160 eligible participants with PMI will be randomly divided into 2 groups to receive either EA or CBT-I. Participants in the EA group will receive electroacupuncture for 8 weeks. The intervention will be delivered 3 times weekly for a total of 12 sessions and 2 times weekly for the next 4 weeks. Meanwhile, participants in the control group will undergo CBT-I (once a week) for 8 weeks. Treatment will use 7 main acupoints (GV20, DU24, EX-HN3, EX-HN18, EX-CA1, RN6, and RN4) and an extra 4 acupoints based on syndrome differentiation. The primary outcome is the Insomnia Severity Index. The secondary outcome measures are the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Menopause-Specific Quality of Life; Menopause Rating Scale; Hamilton Depression Scale; Hamilton Anxiety Scale; hot flash score; and the level of estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone in serum. Sleep architecture will be assessed using polysomnograms.

RESULTS

Participants are currently being recruited. The first participant was enrolled in January 2023, marking the initiation of the recruitment phase. The recruitment process is expected to continue until January 2025, at which point data collection will commence.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial represents a pioneering effort to investigate the efficacy and safety of EA and CBT-I as interventions for PMI. It is noteworthy that this study is conducted solely within a single center and involves Chinese participants, which is a limitation. Nonetheless, the findings of this study are expected to contribute valuable insights for clinicians engaged in the management of PMI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300070981; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=194561.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/51767.

Identifying complementary and alternative medicine recommendations for insomnia treatment and care: a systematic review and critical assessment of comprehensive clinical practice guidelines

Background

There is a need for evidence-informed guidance on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for insomnia because of its widespread utilization and a lack of guidance on the balance of benefits and harms. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize the CAM recommendations associated with insomnia treatment and care from existing comprehensive clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The quality of the eligible guidelines was appraised to assess the credibility of these recommendations.

Methods

Formally published CPGs incorporating CAM recommendations for insomnia management were searched for in seven databases from their inception to January 2023. The NCCIH website and six websites of international guideline developing institutions were also retrieved. The methodological and reporting quality of each included guideline was appraised using the AGREE II instrument and RIGHT statement, respectively.

Results

Seventeen eligible GCPs were included, and 14 were judged to be of moderate to high methodological and reporting quality. The reporting rate of eligible CPGs ranged from 42.9 to 97.1%. Twenty-two CAM modalities were implicated, involving nutritional or natural products, physical CAM, psychological CAM, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and mindful movements. Recommendations for these modalities were mostly unclear, unambiguous, uncertain, or conflicting. Logically explained graded recommendations supporting the CAM use in the treatment and/or care of insomnia were scarce, with bibliotherapy, Tai Chi, Yoga, and auriculotherapy positively recommended based on little and weak evidence. The only consensus was that four phytotherapeutics including valerian, chamomile, kava, and aromatherapy were not recommended for insomnia management because of risk profile and/or limited benefits.

Conclusions

Existing guidelines are generally limited in providing clear, evidence-informed recommendations for the use of CAM therapies for insomnia management due to a lack of high-quality evidence and multidisciplinary consultation in CPG development. More well-designed studies to provide reliable clinical evidence are therefore urgently needed. Allowing the engagement of a range of interdisciplinary stakeholders in future updates of CPGs is also warranted.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=369155, identifier: CRD42022369155.

A critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines on insomnia using the RIGHT statement and AGREE II instrument

OBJECTIVE

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have an indispensable role in guiding the selection of various treatments for insomnia, however, little is known about the quality of released insomnia CPGs. This study aims to critically appraise the quality of existing insomnia CPGs and identify quality limitations.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, China Biology Medicine disc, and 6 databases of international guideline developing institutions were systematically searched. CPGs on the diagnosis or treatment of insomnia were included. Reviewers independently extracted basic information and development methods, and assessed methodological quality and reporting quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool and Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) checklist respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to measure the agreement among reviewers and assess inter-rater reliability.

RESULTS

Twenty-six CPGs were identified that focused on adults, children, or children with autistic spectrum disorder, patients in the intensive care unit, patients with cancer and pregnant, lactating or menopausal women. Twenty-two CPGs used nine grading systems to rate the level of evidence and strength of recommendation. 53.85% CPGs were classified as "recommended with modification" according to the AGREE II scores (ICC from 0.64 to 0.90), and 2 CPGs were "recommended". The "clarity of presentation" domain achieved the highest mean score (67.9% ± 11.04%) but the "applicability" domain (37.1% ± 12.67%) achieved the lowest. The average reporting rate of RIGHT items in all guidelines was 67.87%.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of guidelines varied substantially. Guideline developers should realize the importance of guideline applicability, patients' preferences and values.

Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Insomnia Disorder

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review assessed the quality of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the treatment of insomnia disorder and their reporting of recommendations, while summarizing the evidence and providing guidance on an algorithmic approach to appropriate pharmacological treatment.

METHODS

The PubMed and EMBASE databases, guideline repositories, and specialist association websites were searched. The quality of the CPGs was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument, complemented by the AGREE-REX (Appraisal of Guidelines REsearch and Evaluation-Recommendations EXcellence). A multidisciplinary team identified the key clinical questions that a clinician would consider when taking an algorithmic approach to the use of medication for patients with insomnia disorder. By using a meta-synthesis approach, recommendations from the CPGs were characterized and summarized via a recommendation matrix.

RESULTS

A total of 10 records that met the inclusion criteria were included and appraised. Four CPGs were rated as high and 3 CPGs were rated as moderate in overall quality. Most of the CPGs recommended pharmacotherapy only if cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or other nonpharmacological interventions were unavailable, unsuccessful, or declined by patients. Recommendations on types of medicines and dose and duration of treatment varied and were nonspecific. Few of the CPGs provided recommendations on pharmacotherapy in special populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Indications for starting medications are the only common thread in all of the reviewed CPGs. The CPGs diverged in the choice of first-line pharmacotherapy, and most of the CPGs did not provide recommendations on all subsequent clinical considerations.

Management of Chronic Insomnia Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) During COVID-19 Pandemic: Does One Shoe Fit All?

Purpose

Insomnia is a highly prevalent disorder that is seen across all age groups causing significant morbidity to the patients. Its prevalence has further risen during COVID-19 pandemic. It is widely acknowledged that untreated insomnia can lead to significant health risks and socio-occupational dysfunction.

Methods

A narrative review was conducted following focused search of databases.

Results

Available guidelines mention two different approaches for the management of insomnia-pharmacological and non-pharmacological. Non-pharmacological therapies like multicomponent cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) have been advocated for the management of acute as well as chronic insomnia in the literature as it has been found efficacious and useful. Multiple variants of CBT-I, e.g., digitally delivered CBT-I, brief CBT-I have been tested during pandemic owing to closure of clinics. However, there are certain issues to be considered while choosing CBT-I as therapy. For example, like other forms of psychotherapies, is there a need for assessing the candidature of patient before administering CBT-I; is CBT-I free of adverse effects as commonly thought; is CBT-I more efficacious than hypnotics; and at last, how to manage cases that are not candidate for CBT-I.

Conclusion

This narrative review addresses the scientific robustness of evidence for issues related to adherence, efficacy and adverse effects of non-pharmacological therapies. Available literature suggests that data related to adherence and efficacy of CBT-I suffer from methodological shortcomings and careful selection of patient is important for the successful therapy. At the same time, attempts have been made to shed light to the areas where CBT-I can be helpful in the management of insomnia.

Management of chronic insomnia using hypnotics: a friend or a foe?

Epidemiological studies suggest that 10-15% adults meet the present criteria for the diagnosis of insomnia disorder; however, there may be geographical variations. Untreated insomnia disorders have a number of adverse health consequences in addition to economic burden caused by it. Available guidelines mention that CBT-I should be preferred over hypnotics. However, several patients of chronic insomnia are not candidate for CBT-I and for them, hypnotics are the only answer. This paper reviews the literature to answer following questions: What is the current understanding regarding place of hypnotics for in management of insomnia disorder? How many patients misuse or abuse hypnotics, especially benzodiazepines, as commonly believed? Do we have data from human studies regarding low-dose benzodiazepine dependence? What does hypnotics produce-withdrawal insomnia, rebound insomnia or end of dose phenomenon? Are adverse effects of benzodiazepines worse than other psychotropic medications? Is prescription of hypnotics more troublesome than untreated insomnia disorder? Available literature suggests that there is an unreasonable negative bias attached to the use of hypnotics. Only a sub-set of patients who are prescribed hypnotics, meet the criteria for "dependence" in long term. Other patients either discontinue it (as insomnia remits) or change to occasional use (since insomnia may be relapsing remitting disorder), or continue using it in low dose (since insomnia reappears as hypnotics are discontinued, similar to increase in blood sugar after hypoglycemics are discontinued). Meta-analysis shows that adverse effects of hypnotics are comparable to that of other psychotropic medications. Considering the consequences and risks associated with untreated insomnia disorder, even long-term use of hypnotics is justified, however with the careful watch that patients are not increasing the dose. This approach is especially important in geographical areas where trained CBT-I therapists are not available.

A systematic review and quality assessment of complementary and alternative medicine recommendations in insomnia clinical practice guidelines

Background

Sleep disorders encompass a wide range of conditions which affect the quality and quantity of sleep, with insomnia being a specific type of sleep disorder of focus in this review. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is often utilized for various sleep disorders. Approximately 4.5% of individuals diagnosed with insomnia in the United States have used a CAM therapy to treat their condition. This systematic review identifies the quantity and assesses the quality of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) which contain CAM recommendations for insomnia.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were systematically searched from 2009 to 2020, along with the Guidelines International Network, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health website, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the Emergency Care Research Institute. CPGs which focused on the treatment and/or management of insomnia in adults were assessed with the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.

Results

From 277 total results, 250 results were unique, 9 CPGs mentioned CAM for insomnia, and 6 out of the 9 made CAM recommendations relevant to insomnia. Scaled domain percentages from highest to lowest were scope and purpose, clarity of presentation, editorial independence, stakeholder involvement, rigour of development, and applicability. Quality varied within and across CPGs.

Conclusions

The CPGs which contained CAM recommendations for insomnia and which scored well could be used by health care professionals and patients to discuss the use of CAM therapies for the treatment/management of insomnia, while CPGs which scored lower could be improved in future updates according to AGREE II.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-021-03223-3.

Acupuncture as a primary and independent treatment for a patient with chronic insomnia: One-year follow-up case report

RATIONALE

Insomnia is a common disease. Till date, no study has reported the long-term (up to 1 year) outcomes of acupuncture as a primary and independent treatment in patients with insomnia. This report aims to present response of patient who was treated by acupuncture. This patient was evaluated with polysomnography.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 40-year-old patient had been diagnosed with insomnia for 2 years and getting worse since 1 month ago. He had undergone depression and anxiety emotion, but refused to take medical treatment for chronic insomnia.

DIAGNOSES

In this study, the diagnosis of chronic insomnia was based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders insomnia. The patient had no obvious differential diagnosis.

INTERVENTIONS

Acupuncture treatment was planned for this patient who refused to take medical treatment with chronic insomnia. So the patient received 1 hour of acupuncture treatment for 12 weeks.

OUTCOME

Polysomnographic evaluation was performed at baseline and 3 months, and 1 year after acupuncture treatment. He was asked to keep a diary of all his insomnia-related symptoms. All outcome measures substantially improved. Moreover, during the observation period, the patient's sleep quality did not worsen.

LESSONS

After acupuncture treatment, improvements of subjective symptoms such as unrefreshing sleep, sleep disturbances, accompanied symptoms (morning headache, fatigue, and mood worsening) were observed. Remarkable improvement was recorded by polysomnographic parameters. The costs of the treatment of insomnia may be reduced, if this therapy was proved useful in future controlled studies.

Impact of Acupuncture on Chronic Insomnia: A Report of Two Cases with Polysomnographic Evaluation

OBJECTIVE

This report aimed to present the acupuncture treatment response of two patients who were evaluated with polysomnography.

CLINICAL FEATURES

Acupuncture treatment was planned for two patients who refused medical treatment with chronic insomnia. Polysomnographic evaluation was performed at baseline and 1 month after acupuncture treatment.

CONCLUSION

Remarkable improvement was determined in polysomnographic parameters of both cases. After acupuncture treatment, improvements in subjective symptoms such as unrefreshing sleep, morning headache, reduced motivation and daytime performance, tiredness, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and mood worsening in the morning were also observed. Clinical studies with more cases with polysomnographic evaluation are necessary to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia.

Characterization of Guideline Evidence for Off-label Medication Use in the Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND

Non-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or off-label medication prescribing occurs commonly in the intensive care unit (ICU). Off-label medication use creates a concern for untoward adverse effects; however, this worry may be alleviated by supportive literature.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the evidence behind off-label medication use by determining the presence of guideline support and compare graded recommendations to an online tertiary resource, DRUGDEX.

METHODS

Off-label medication use was identified prospectively over 3 months in medical ICUs in 3 academic medical centers. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed and the national guideline clearinghouse website to determine the presence of guideline support. DRUGDEX was also searched for strength-of-evidence ratings to serve as a comparator.

RESULTS

A total of 287 off-label medication indication searches resulted in 44% (126/287) without identified evidence; 253 guidelines were identified for 56% (161/287) of indications. Of the published guidelines, 89% (226/253) supported the off-label indication. In the DRUGDEX comparison, 67% (97/144) of guideline gradings disagree with DRUGDEX, whereas 33% (47/144) of the gradings matched the online database.

CONCLUSION

Because more than half of off-label medication use has the benefit of supportive guidelines recommendations and a majority of gradings are inconsistent with DRUGDEX, clinicians should consider utilizing guidelines to inform off-label medication use in the ICU. Still, there is a considerable amount of off-label medication use in the ICU that lacks supporting evidence, and use remains concerning because it may lead to inappropriate treatment and adverse events.

Tratamento da Insônia em Atenção Primária à Saúde

A insônia é uma das perturbações do sono mais comuns, sendo uma das principais queixas dos pacientes que recorrem aos cuidados médicos. A perturbação de insônia está associada a aumento da morbimortalidade por doenças cardiovasculares, psiquiátricas e acidentes, estando igualmente associada a maior absentismo laboral e maiores custos em saúde. Foram pesquisadas normas de orientação clínica, revisões sistemáticas, meta-análises e estudos originais, publicados entre 2010 e 15 de maio de 2015, relacionados com o tratamento da insônia. O tratamento da insônia pode iniciar-se por terapia cognitivo-comportamental, tratamento farmacológico ou associação dos dois. A terapia cognitivo-comportamental é considerada por várias sociedades médicas como tratamento padrão, sendo que os estudos comprovam a sua eficácia no tratamento da insônia sem ou com comorbilidades e com manutenção a longo prazo dos seus efeitos. Esta compreende múltiplas estratégias, como controle de estímulo, restrição do sono, relaxamento, terapia cognitiva e intenção paradoxal. A farmacoterapia deve ser considerada em situações agudas com necessidade de redução imediata dos sintomas. Os fármacos hipnóticos têm indicação no tratamento da insônia quando os sintomas assumem caráter patológico. Os antidepressivos sedativos, apesar de comumente utilizados, não reúnem evidência da sua eficácia, com exceção da insônia associada a sintomas depressivos ou de ansiedade ou em pacientes com abuso de substâncias. Assim, dada a prevalência de queixas de insônia em atenção primária à saúde, o médico de família deve conhecer a melhor abordagem para o seu tratamento, quer seja farmacológico ou não farmacológico, e os critérios de referenciação. 

Eszopiclone versus zopiclone in the treatment of insomnia

OBJECTIVE

To determine the therapeutic effects of two selective GABA-A agonists, zopiclone and eszopiclone, in the treatment of insomnia.

METHODS

This study comprised a phase III, single-center, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, non-inferiority trial. Patients were randomized to receive zopiclone 7.5 mg or eszopiclone 3 mg, both orally, for four weeks. In total, 199 patients were evaluated during two visits and then followed for at least six weeks. The primary endpoint was the Insomnia Severity Index after four weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoints were obtained through polysomnography data, including total sleep time, sleep latency and sleep efficiency. The frequency of adverse events was also analyzed. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01100164.

RESULTS

The primary efficacy analysis demonstrated the non-inferiority of eszopiclone over zopiclone. Analysis of objective parameters assessed by polysomnography showed that eszopiclone increased total sleep time and also improved sleep efficiency. The safety profile of both study treatments was similar and the most common events reported in both groups were dysgeusia, headache, dizziness, irritability and nausea. Adverse events were observed in 223 patients, 109 (85.2%) in the eszopiclone group and 114 (87.7%) in the zopiclone group.

CONCLUSION

Based on the Insomnia Severity Index at the end of four weeks of treatment, eszopiclone demonstrated efficacy comparable to that of zopiclone in the treatment of insomnia, increasing total sleep time as well as sleep efficiency according to polysomnography.

Sleeping effects in the quality of life of women with insomnia

Abstract Introduction : Sleeping is characterized by a temporary suspension of voluntary sensory and motor activity, regulated by the circadian cycle-and the biological clock, and any changes in their days function and general test results in poor quality of it, can affect the quality of life as a whole. Objective : To analyze the quality of sleeping in individuals with insomnia and its influence on quality of life. Methods : We interviewed 11 women from a specific questionnaire to evaluate the Quality of Sleeping Index (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality / PSQI) and one for quality of life (SF-36). Discussion : It was found that all participants had changes in sleep and quality of life was associated with tobacco use and lack of physical activity. The average found in the SF-36 was 39.0, and the most affected issues were the general health, social functioning, role physical limitations, pain and mental health. In PSQI score was obtained 13 points, indicating poor quality of sleeping and significant correlation was observed between the questionnaires, in which domains of physical functioning, vitality and social aspects showed moderate correlation. Conclusions : Poor sleeping quality can lead to compromised quality of life of individuals with insomnia.

Addressing sleep disturbances: an opportunity to prevent cardiometabolic disease?

There is increasing awareness of the role of sleep disturbance as an important factor in health and disease. Although sub-clinical sleep disturbances (insufficient sleep duration or inadequate sleep quality) may be difficult to assess with conceptual and/or methodological clarity, this review attempts to summarize and synthesize these findings. First, the concept of sleep disturbance in a public health context is introduced, to provide context and rationale. Second, operational definitions of 'cardiometabolic disease' and 'sleep disturbance' are offered, to address many unclear operationalizations. Third, the extant literature is summarized regarding short or long sleep duration and/or insufficient sleep, insomnia and insomnia symptoms, general (non-specific sleep disturbances), circadian rhythm abnormalities that result in sleep disturbances, and, briefly, sleep-disordered breathing. Fourth, the review highlights the social/behavioural context of sleep, including discussions of sleep and race/ethnicity, socio-economic position, and other social/environmental factors, in order to place these findings in a social-environmental context relevant to public health. Fifth, the review highlights the issue of sleep as a domain of health behaviour and addresses issues regarding development of healthy sleep interventions. Finally, a research agenda of future directions is proposed.

Evaluation of an individual sleep intervention programme in people undergoing peritoneal dialysis treatment

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate effects of a non-pharmacological intervention on sleep, activity and fatigue in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis by the use of both actigraphy registration and self-assessed questionnaires.

BACKGROUND

Insomnia is estimated to affect up to 60% of haemo- and peritoneal dialysis patients. It is associated with two common uremic symptoms, pruritus and restless legs syndrome. To our knowledge, no interventions have been evaluated by actigraphy.

DESIGN

A prospective multiple baseline single-case experimental design.

METHODS

Two women and seven men with sleep problems, 48-77 years, treated with PD participated in a 17-week study from January 2009 to February 2011. Two interventions were separately implemented. First, a pressure-relieving mattress and second, a four week individual sleep hygiene and sleep scheduling intervention. The two interventions were evaluated both objectively by actigraphy and subjectively by questionnaires.

RESULTS

A total of 315 sleep-wake cycles from nine individuals were evaluated. Three patients improved clinically significantly in five or more of the nine outcomes, i.e. sleep onset latency, nocturnal sleep duration, numbers and duration of napping, movement and fragmentation index, number of steps, metabolic equivalent unit, sleep efficiency and fatigue. The other six patients also showed improvements but to a lesser degree. Physical activity advice was the intervention that yielded most sleep improvements.

CONCLUSIONS

This study illuminates the need for regular assessment of sleep and tiredness. It also demonstrates how a non-pharmacological treatment and self-management can be applied with renal supportive care to improve sleep quality.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study is a clinical example of a non-pharmacological intervention with supportive care and self-management. This model can improve health and reduce the pharmacological burden because hypnotics can be replaced by sleep hygiene self-care activities.

Insônia em pacientes com câncer de mama

A insônia é uma queixa frequente em pacientes com câncer de mama, e suas consequências podem causar impacto na qualidade de vida e no curso da doença. O objetivo deste estudo foi revisar a literatura especializada sobre a relação entre insônia e câncer de mama, abordando definição, prevalência, fatores etiológicos e as consequências da insônia no contexto da neoplasia mamária, bem como os tratamentos para insônia nessa população. A busca da literatura ocorreu nos bancos de dados Scopus, Web of Science e SciELO, utilizando as palavras chaves: insomnia, sleep, breast cancer, treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy. Os estudos revisados demonstraram que a etiologia da insônia envolve fatores de predisposição, precipitação e perpetuação. Evidencia-se a importância da melhora na qualidade de sono em pacientes oncológicos, além de se indicar a combinação de terapia farmacológica e cognitivocomportamental no tratamento dos problemas de sono.

Patients with insomnia and subthreshold depression show marked worsening of insomnia after discontinuation of sleep promoting medication

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the outcome of treatment with trazodone CR in primary insomnia differs between patients with and without subthreshold depression.

METHODS

14 patients (9 females, mean age 57.3 ± 13.3) with primary insomnia and increased Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores (>10) and 15 sex- and age-matched patients with primary insomnia and low BDI scores (≤ 10) were treated with trazodone CR 25-150 mg/d for 3 months and followed for 1 month after discontinuation of the medication. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) were completed at baseline, after each month of treatment and after the first week of run-out phase. Additional assessment tools comprised sleep diaries, the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) and actigraphic recordings.

RESULTS

Subjective sleep time increased by 61.5 ± 72.3 min in the group with low BDI and 60.0 ± 59.4 min in the group with increased BDI at the end of the treatment phase. The significant improvements were also observed in the AIS, CGI, LSEQ and SDS. During the run-out phase the improvement was sustained in patients with low BDI, while AIS scores, sleep latency and total sleep time deteriorated in patients with increased BDI.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with subthreshold depression, even if the depressive symptoms do not fulfill the time criteria for depressive episode, show marked worsening of insomnia after discontinuation of sleep promoting medication.