Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
A Novel and Translational Rat Model of Concussion Combining Force and Rotation with In Vivo Cerebral Microdialysis
Published on: July 12, 2019
The Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Neurofilament Light and Phosphorylated Tau in Individuals
Rebecca Ludwig1, Michael Rippee2, Linda D'Silva1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. Mail Stop 2002, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
Background:
Concussions damage neurologic tissue, increasing release of intercellular proteins including phosphorylated Tau (pTau) and neurofilament light (NfL). Disrupted sleep from a concussion negatively impacts the ability of the glymphatic system to remove cellular waste from the brain.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to determine if enhancing sleep using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) impacts pTau and NFL levels following a concussion.
Methods:
This is pre/post intervention analysis of a larger wait-list control study. Participants had their blood sampled pre/post the CBT-I intervention which was analyzed using SIMOA analytics. Paired sampling statistics and linear regression models were used to examine how insomnia severity impacts pTau181 and NfL.
Results:
Twenty-eight participants were enrolled in this study. Age and baseline protein level were significantly associated with post-intervention protein levels, but post-intervention insomnia severity was not associated with post-intervention protein levels. About 50% of participants that had clinically meaningful change in insomnia and had a reduction in their NfL and pTau181 values.
Conclusions:
Post-intervention insomnia was not associated with post-intervention NfL or pTau. Yet, on an individual level, ~50% of participants had a clinically meaningful change in insomnia and reduced level of NfL and pTau 18.1.
Clinical Trial Registration:
NCT04885205 https://clinicaltrials.gov.
