Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. However, cognitive impairments may limit progress in CBT-I for older Veterans with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). This study will develop and pilot test Sleep-SMART (Sleep Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Therapy), an adapted CBT-I treatment that incorporates Cognitive Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Therapy (CogSMART) principles with a goal of improving sleep treatment and rehabilitation outcomes for Veterans with co-occurring MCI and insomnia. The innovation of this study centers on enhancing CBT-I by providing supportive cognitive strategies designed to improve treatment adherence, learning, and acceptability. The investigators anticipate that by improving sleep it can concurrently improve daily functioning, increase quality of life, prevent or reduce late-life disability, and mitigate long-term cognitive decline in this Veteran population.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an important public health concern for aging Veterans due to the increased risk for progression to dementia and increased mortality. Insomnia is common in MCI (occurring in up to 60% of patients) and increases risk for dementia, disability, and poor quality of life. Rates of MCI and insomnia are higher among Veterans than civilians, thus aging Veterans with MCI and comorbid insomnia represent a particularly high-risk population. The gold standard treatment for insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), is a multi-component behavioral intervention. However, cognitive impairments experienced by individuals with MCI may limit the rate of progress in CBT-I. The use of memory support strategies can improve patient recall of therapeutic information, enhance treatment adherence, and improve treatment outcomes. Cognitive Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Therapy (CogSMART) provides compensatory strategies to improve learning, memory, attention, and executive functioning. CogSMART has been shown to improve cognition, functional capacity, neurobehavioral symptoms, and quality of life in diverse Veteran populations with cognitive impairment. Incorporating supportive CogSMART cognitive strategies into CBT-I has the potential to improve treatment learning, adherence, and outcomes for this Veteran population. This RR\&D SPiRE research project will assist us in developing and evaluating Sleep-SMART (Sleep Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Therapy), an innovative user-informed approach for treatment of insomnia in Veterans with MCI. Sleep-SMART is intended to provide the core components of CBT-I along with training in compensatory cognitive strategies from CogSMART to enhance intervention adherence and learning. Provision of this supportive cognitive training will assist Veterans with cognitive impairments in maintaining compliance with the CBT-I regimen, thereby leading to faster and more complete treatment benefits. The principle aims for the investigation include: 1) developing the Sleep-SMART intervention and treatment manual; 2) assessing the feasibility and acceptability of Sleep-SMART in Veterans with MCI and insomnia; and 3) exploring the effects of Sleep-SMART on rehabilitation outcomes, quality of life, sleep, and cognitive functioning.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
Sleep-SMART is a telehealth delivered treatment for insomnia that follows the standard 6 session 50-minute Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) format. Sleep-SMART delivers CBT-I treatment along with training in select cognitive strategies from CogSMART to enhance intervention learning and adherence.
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
San Diego, California, United States
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8)
Self-report scale to assess level of client satisfaction for the intervention. Scores range from 8-32, higher score indicates higher satisfaction. Mean scores were calculated at post-treatment. No statistical analyses were performed.
Time frame: At post-treatment (approximately 8 weeks from study enrollment). Note: study consenting and pre-treatment assessment occurred in week 1, followed by the 6-session SleepSMART treatment in weeks 2-7 and the post-treatment assessment in week 8.
Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ)
Scale to assess the usability of telehealth to deliver the intervention. In this questionnaire, 1 - strongly disagree, 2 - disagree, 3 - somewhat disagree, 4 - neither agree nor disagree, 5 - somewhat agree, 6 - agree, 7 - strongly agree To determine the usability of the telehealth system, calculate the total and determine the average of the responses to all statements. The higher the overall average, the higher the usability of the telehealth system.
Time frame: At post-treatment (approximately 8 weeks from study enrollment). Note: study consenting and pre-treatment assessment occurred in week 1, followed by the 6-session SleepSMART treatment in weeks 2-7 and the post-treatment assessment in week 8.
Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)
Rating scale assessing intervention acceptability; scores range from 1-5 with higher scores indicating higher levels of acceptability. Ratings were collected at post-treatment. Mean scores were calculated. No statistical analyses were performed.
Time frame: At post-treatment (approximately 8 weeks from study enrollment). Note: study consenting and pre-treatment assessment occurred in week 1, followed by the 6-session SleepSMART treatment in weeks 2-7 and the post-treatment assessment in week 8.
Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)
Rating scale assessing intervention appropriateness; scores range from 1-5 with higher scores indicating higher levels of appropriateness. Mean scores were calculated. No statistical analyses were performed.
Time frame: At post-treatment (approximately 8 weeks from study enrollment). Note: study consenting and pre-treatment assessment occurred in week 1, followed by the 6-session SleepSMART treatment in weeks 2-7 and the post-treatment assessment in week 8.
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