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Actigraphically Measured Sleep-Wake Behavior After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case-Control Study.
Alicia C Allan1, Shannon L Edmed, Karen A Sullivan
1Clinical Neuropsychology Research Group, School of Psychology and Counselling (Mss Allan and Karlsson and Drs Edmed, Sullivan, and Smith), Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (Mss Allan and Drs Edmed, Sullivan, and Smith), and Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety (Ms Allan and Dr Smith), Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Lange); Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Lange); National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Lange); and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Dr Lange).
Individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) report worse sleep quality and more insomnia symptoms. While objective sleep changes are minimal, mTBI patients tend to sleep and wake earlier than healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Medicine
- Traumatology
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can impact various aspects of an individual's health.
- Sleep disturbances are frequently reported following brain injury, but objective characterization is often lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare sleep-wake behavior in individuals with recent mTBI against healthy controls.
- To identify subjective and objective differences in sleep patterns post-mTBI.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 14 participants with mTBI and 34 healthy controls.
- Utilized subjective sleep questionnaires, 14-day actigraphy for objective sleep-wake monitoring, and daily sleep diaries.
Main Results:
- mTBI participants reported significantly higher sleep-related impairment, poorer sleep quality, and more insomnia symptoms compared to controls.
- Objective measures revealed that individuals with mTBI fell asleep and woke approximately one hour earlier than controls.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with mTBI experience notable subjective sleep complaints and a shift towards earlier sleep timing.
- Further research is required to understand the clinical implications and develop interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, for this population.
