Effect of Activity on Sleep of Cognitively-Impaired Veterans

Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effect of Activity on Sleep of Cognitively-Impaired Veterans

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00013182
• Other study ID #: NRM 95-184
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: March 14, 2001
• Last updated: April 6, 2015
• Est. completion date: June 2001

Study information

• Verified date: February 2007
• Source: VA Office of Research and Development
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Sleep-activity rhythm disturbance is a prevalent, disabling symptom in cognitively-impaired (CI) elders. Their nocturnal sleep is light and inefficient with frequent awakenings. Multiple short daytime napping episodes interfere with daytime activity and functioning. Daytime disruptive behaviors, such as pacing, hitting, and cursing are related significantly to sleep-activity rhythm disturbance. Medical treatment for sleep and behavior disturbances with benzodiazepines or antipsychotic medications has proven minimally effective and has serious side effects such as impairments in cognition, memory, coordination, and balance, tolerance and severe rebound insomnia, and tardive dyskinesia.

Description:

Background:

Sleep-activity rhythm disturbance is a prevalent, disabling symptom in cognitively-impaired (CI) elders. Their nocturnal sleep is light and inefficient with frequent awakenings. Multiple short daytime napping episodes interfere with daytime activity and functioning. Daytime disruptive behaviors, such as pacing, hitting, and cursing are related significantly to sleep-activity rhythm disturbance. Medical treatment for sleep and behavior disturbances with benzodiazepines or antipsychotic medications has proven minimally effective and has serious side effects such as impairments in cognition, memory, coordination, and balance, tolerance and severe rebound insomnia, and tardive dyskinesia.

Objectives:

The degree of daytime sleepiness in elders may reflect a reduction in the purposive physical, cognitive, and affective activities that previously sustained daytime alertness and promoted psychological well-being. For some institutionalized elders, living in a physically, cognitively, and emotionally understimulating setting may induce excessive napping during the day with a subsequent adverse impact on circadian sleep-wake patterns. Concrete, reality-based activities may counter napping by keeping residents with dementia involved in the world around them and helping them meet psychological, physical, and social needs. Our pilot study with five nursing home residents demonstrated that activities timed to occur during usual naptime and tailored to residents� interests and their remaining abilities improved nocturnal sleep. Our other research has shown that engaging residents in meaningful activity improved their psychological well-being and decreased certain types of disruptive behaviors.

Methods:

We tested the effect of an Individualized Activity Intervention timed to occur when the resident usually napped in the daytime on nocturnal sleep as measured by actigraphy in CI nursing home residents. Examples of individualized activities include objects for tactile and visual stimulation, arts and crafts, and games. We also tested the effect of the intervention on psychological well-being and disruptive behavior, and measured its cost. After the collection of baseline sleep, disruptive behavior, and psychological well-being data for five days, residents were randomly assigned to the Individualized Activity Intervention or to a usual care control condition for 21 days. On days 17-21, the research assistant repeated the outcome measures.

Status:

Secondary data analysis on psychological well-being, disruptive behavior, and cost of the intervention is in progress.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 90
• Est. completion date: June 2001
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 55 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants must have been a resident in the nursing home for at least two weeks, must be at least 55 years old, have a diagnosis of dementia, a Mini-Mental State Examination Score of <24, sleep less than 85% of the night, and nap at least 30 minutes during the day.

Exclusion Criteria:

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alzheimer Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Parasomnias
• Sleep Disorders

Intervention

Behavioral:
• social activity

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center, Little Rock, AR	No. Little Rock	Arkansas

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
VA Office of Research and Development	Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, University of Arkansas

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (5)

Kolanowski AM, Richards KC, Sullivan SC. Derivation of an intervention for need-driven behavior. Activity preferences of persons with dementia. J Gerontol Nurs. 2002 Oct;28(10):12-5. — View Citation

Richards KC, Beck C, O'Sullivan PS, Shue VM. Effect of individualized social activity on sleep in nursing home residents with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Sep;53(9):1510-7. — View Citation

Richards KC, Beck C, Shue VM, O'Sullivan PS. Demographic and sleep characteristics in cognitively impaired nursing home residents with and without severe sleep/wake pattern inefficiency. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2005 Aug-Sep;26(7):751-69. — View Citation

Richards KC, Lambert C, Beck CK. Deriving interventions for challenging behaviors from the need-driven dementia-compromised behavior model. Alzheimer's care today. 2000 Oct 15; 1(4):62-76.

Richards KC, Sullivan SC, Phillips RL, Beck CK, Overton-McCoy AL. The effect of individualized activities on the sleep of nursing home residents who are cognitively impaired: a pilot study. J Gerontol Nurs. 2001 Sep;27(9):30-7. — View Citation