Basic information
Investigator: PhDr. Jana Kopřivová, Ph.D.
Main recipient: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Research period: 1/5/2023 – 31/12/2026
Total budget: 9,488,000 CZK
Supported by: Czech Health Research Council (AZV ČR)
Annotation
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders and its prevalence is steadily rising. The efficacy of current therapeutic approaches is limited. Although diagnosis of insomnia is based on subjective complaints, sleep fragmentation and reduction of slow-wave sleep (SWS) have been consistently reported. SWS is hallmarked by slow oscillations that have previously been successfully targeted by precisely timed electrical and even auditory stimulation. It has been shown that closed-loop auditory stimulation (CLAS) has the potential to enhance slow oscillations as well as to improve overnight memory consolidation. Our pilot data in insomnia patients suggest that CLAS can impact on slow oscillatory activity and thus potentially deepen sleep. So far CLAS has mainly been used in laboratory conditions. However, recent technological progress and development of home-based stimulation tools opens up the possibility of new therapeutic uses of CLAS based on repeated application of the stimulation. In this project, we aim primarily to test the efficacy of the long-term, home-based CLAS in alleviating clinical symptoms of insomnia. Additionally, we aim to evaluate the impact of CLAS on objective sleep parameters and on sleep-dependent memory consolidtion. A total of 44 patients will be receive 3 weeks of CLAS and 3 weeks of sham stimulation (no stimulation will be delivered) in a ballanced order. The conditions will be separated by one week of of mere sleep monitoring. Sleep quality, symptoms of insomnia and memory consolidation will be evaluated before and after CLAS/sham stimulation using standardized tools. Moreover, sleep will be recorded throughout the whole study. Sleep data will be analysed in terms of sleep macro- and microstructure. We hypothesize that CLAS will deepen sleep, i.e. will lead to a longer and more consolidated SWS, will be associated with clinical improvement of insomnia and will enhance memory consolidation.