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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 5, 2014
Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia associated with traumatic brain injury: a single-case
Marie-Christine Ouellet1, Charles M Morin
1Axe de Recherche en Traumatologie et Médecine d'Urgence, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Affilié Universitaire de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada. marie-christine.ouellet@mail.mcgill.ca
Objective:
To test the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia in persons having sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Design:
Single-case design with multiple baselines across participants.
Setting:
Outpatient rehabilitation center.
Participants:
Eleven subjects having sustained mild to severe TBI who developed insomnia after the injury.
Intervention:
Eight-week CBT for insomnia including stimulus control, sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring, sleep hygiene education, and fatigue management.
Main Outcome Measures:
Total wake time, sleep efficiency, and diagnostic criteria.
Results:
Visual analyses, corroborated by intervention time series analyses and t tests, revealed clinically and statistically significant reductions in total wake time and sleep efficiency for 8 (73%) of 11 participants. An average reduction of 53.9% in total wake time was observed across participants from pre- to post-treatment. Progress was in general well maintained at the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. The average sleep efficiency augmented significantly from pretreatment (77.2%) to post-treatment (87.9%), and also by the 3-month follow-up (90.9%). Improvements in sleep were accompanied by a reduction in symptoms of general and physical fatigue.
Conclusions:
The results of this study show that psychologic interventions for insomnia are a promising therapeutic avenue for TBI survivors.
