Studying Melatonin and Recovery in Teens

Stanford University45 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this feasibility clinical trial is to learn if melatonin can help teens having major musculoskeletal surgery by promoting healthy sleep. Melatonin is available as a dietary supplement that may be effective in promoting longer, higher quality sleep. This study will assess the feasibility and acceptability of melatonin for teens undergoing major musculoskeletal surgery, as well as determine optimal measured outcomes (sleep, pain, health-related quality of life) at short- and long-term follow-up.

The investigators will enroll a total of 45 adolescents ages 12-18 years old who are scheduled to undergo major musculoskeletal surgery and one of their caregivers who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants will be asked to: 1. Take melatonin or a placebo before and after surgery. All participants will receive sleep hygiene instructions. 2. Wear a watch-like actigraphy device before and after surgery 3. Complete 1-minute check-in surveys twice each day, for about 5 weeks total before and after surgery 4. Complete 10-20-minute online surveys 3 times over 4 months. Researchers will compare participants randomized to the placebo arm and melatonin arm to see if the trial design and outcomes are both feasible and acceptable to patients and their families. The main aims are: Aim 1. To assess the feasibility and acceptability of melatonin for youth undergoing musculoskeletal surgery Aim 2. To determine optimal primary and secondary outcomes (sleep, pain, health-related quality of life) at short-term (during the initial 21 days) and at final follow-up (3 months after surgery). The investigators will examine completion rates, the extent and pattern of missing data, and gather data to provide effect estimates, variances, and 95% confidence intervals.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Enrollment

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 12 YearsMax age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: Patients/youth: * Age 12-18 years * Participants undergoing elective major musculoskeletal surgery for eligible conditions * California state resident * Regular access to internet and smartphone * Can read and understand English Parents/caregivers * Biological parent or legal guardian of youth * Can read and understand English Exclusion Criteria: Patients/youth * Prescription medication for premorbid insomnia * Cognitive impairment or developmental delay * Does not agree to a 1-week washout if taking over the counter supplements or other sleep aids prior to the start of the study medication * High risk for sleep related breathing disorder * Chronic medical condition that is severe/systemic or requires regular treatment regimen * Psychiatric admission in prior 30 days * Patients that underwent major surgery in the last 3 months, or those that have not fully recovered from a prior surgery * BMI ≥ 99th percentile * Enrollment in another therapeutic study * Any serious underlying medical or psychiatric condition, that, in the opinion of the investigator, would contraindicate the patient\'s participation in the study

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Treatment Adherence

Youth will self-report daily medication administration on the evening diary, including the study drug as well as opioid and non-opioid analgesic medications. Medication administration will also be extracted from the EMR during hospitalization. Adherence will be measured as the percentages of doses taken.

Time frame: Treatment phase of 14 days before surgery through 21 days after surgery (T2), and 7 days at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Study Acceptability

Youth and parent will complete ratings of treatment acceptability using a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (Strong Dislike or Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Like or Strongly Agree). A higher score indicates greater study acceptability.

Time frame: Assessed one time at Dav 21 post-op, and day before surgery (T2)

Enrollment and Retention

Research coordinators will record participant status at each stage including participants approached, assessed for eligibility, invited, consented, randomly assigned, and who received the intended treatment, and completed assessment timepoints, and will collect reasons for declining and dropout. Feasibility metrics will include enrollment rate and attrition rate.

Time frame: Pre-treatment (T1), treatment phase of 14 days before surgery through 21 days after surgery (T2), and 7 days at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Treatment Side Effects

Youth participants will be asked an open-ended question about side effects they may have experienced from the study drug. The rate of side effects of treatment will be self-reported by participants and extracted from EMR during hospitalization.

Time frame: Assessed one time at Dav 21 post-op, and day before surgery (T2)

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Sleep Quality

Youth will complete the Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale (ASWS), a 10-item measure of sleep quality over the past month rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from "Always" to "Never". The measure assesses five behavioral dimensions of sleep quality: (1) going to bed, (2) falling asleep/latency, (3) maintaining sleep, (4) re-initiating sleep, and (5) returning to wakefulness, and yields a total sleep quality score.

Time frame: Pre-treatment (T1) and one time at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Change in Peri-operative Sleep Quality

Youth will complete once daily online diaries assessing daily sleep quality in the morning. Sleep quality will be rated on an 11-point scale ranging from 0 (Extremely poor sleep) to 10 (Extremely good sleep). A higher score indicates higher quality sleep.

Time frame: Treatment phase of 14 days before surgery through 21 days post-op (T2) and 7 days at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Change in Sleep Duration

Youth will wear an actigraphy monitor to measure sleep duration. Youth will also report on sleep and wake times on the online morning diary, which will be used to assist with actigraphy scoring. Actigraphic sleep variables will include: minutes of estimated sleep, and sleep efficiency.

Time frame: Treatment phase of 14 days before surgery through 21 days post-op (T2) and 7 days at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Change in Health-related Quality of Life

Youth will complete the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), a 15-item measure that assesses self-reported physical, social, and emotional health-related qualify of life over the prior 7 days. The measure yields Physical Health, Psychosocial Health, and Total Health summary scores. The PedsQL is widely used and demonstrates good reliability for both the parent and child self-report measures. Scale scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate fewer difficulties (better) health-related quality of life.

Time frame: Pre-treatment (T1) and one time at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Change in Global Pain Severity

Youth will complete the Global Impression of Severity, a single item measure that assesses self-reported patient global impression of pain severity in the preceding 7 days. Response options range from 0 (none) to 3 (severe) with higher scores indicating higher pain severity.

Time frame: Pre-treatment (T1), one time at Day 21 post-op (T2), and one time at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Change in Pain Intensity and Interference

Youth will complete the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), which assesses worst, least, average, and current pain intensity (4 items) and pain interference on daily functions (7 items) in the prior 7 days, with response options indicated on 11-point NRS. Items are averaged to yield scale scores, ranging from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity or interference.

Time frame: Baseline pre-surgery assessment (T1), treatment phase of 14 days before surgery through 21 days after surgery (T2), and 7 days at 3-month follow-up (T3)

Studying Melatonin and Recovery in Teens

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

Central Contacts