Combination Therapy for Treatment of Sleep Disturbance in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Summary

To learn if Cognitive Behavior Therapy (called CBT), combined with either Bright Light Therapy (called BLT), methylphenidate, and/or melatonin, can help improve sleep and other related symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients. This is an investigational study. In this study, BLT, Methylphenidate and Melatonin will be compared to their placebos.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. presence of poor sleep quality, defined as Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total score ≥ 5, with patients describing poor sleep as being present for a minimum of 2 weeks;
2. ability to communicate in English;
3. cognitively competent to respond appropriately to questions, as measured by the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) (≤ 13/30);
4. willing and able to sign a written informed consent;
5. life expectancy of ≥ 1 year as assessed by the oncologist or the principal investigator (SY) using the "surprise question," "Would I be surprised if this patient died in the next 12 months?"; and
6. no pain or stable pain (defined as pain ≤ 4 on Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) or under control and on stable doses of opioids for 1 month).
7. Age 18 years or older
8. be willing to complete in-person or telemedicine follow-up visits with research staff, and able to complete CBT intervention either in person or virtually within Texas.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. active use of systemic anti-inflammatory prescription medications including steroids; unless used during or prior to cancer treatment as a prophylaxis (i.e., nausea);
2. known history of psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder), sleep disorder (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, periodic limb movement disorder), obesity hypoventilation syndrome, glaucoma, congenital blindness, self-reported acquired blindness, significant cataracts or retinal disease; and night shift workers.
3. Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) score ≥21, or use of antidepressants, unless the patient is receiving a stable dose for at least 1 month;
4. use of hypnosedative drugs or stimulants; unless on stable doses of hypnosedative drugs or stimulants for at least 1 month;
5. use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MOI), tricyclic anti-depressants and anticoagulants; and
6. patients who have bright sunlight exposure for consecutive 30 minutes or more daily in the past month, or prior exposure to BLT, or prior use of MT, MP, or CBT.
7. other medical reason that increases patient risk as determined by PI.
8. For patients participating in the MRI data collection component of the study, we will exclude the participants who meet the following criteria:

   1. . Any metallic objects in the body. Metal plates, certain types of dental braces, cardiac pacemakers, ext., that are sensitive to electromagnetic fields contraindicate MRI scans
   2. . Claustrophobia
9. Pregnancy as documented in the medical record

Conditions5

Locations1 site

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