CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02392000Updated Apr 20, 2018Results posted

Mobile Sleep Intervention for OEF, OIF and OND Veterans

An interventional study of WatchPAT sleep monitor and CBT-i Coach mobile app in Chronic Insomnia, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-04-20.

Sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
38
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
21 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Many Veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with chronic insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep). Most current interventions for insomnia are time-consuming, making it difficult for this younger, working group of Veterans to use and benefit from these interventions. The investigators will assess whether Veterans find it helpful to use two health information technology tools, one for measuring participant sleep (the WatchPAT) and one for managing participant sleep (the CBTI Coach). The WatchPAT will measure physiological sleep in the Veteran participant's home. The CBTI Coach is a mobile health application used on the Veteran's mobile phone or tablet to teach skills that can reduce insomnia. The investigators will combine use of the WatchPAT with the CBTI Coach so Veterans can self-manage insomnia at home. Participants will record their physiological sleep and self-report on their sleep at home during a 6 week self-management program. The investigators will measure if Veterans find the tools helpful and easy to use, and which Veterans find the tools most helpful.

Read the detailed description

Sleep disturbance in the form of chronic insomnia (difficulty in falling or staying asleep) is a major health care problem for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) Veterans. Chronic insomnia is often co-morbid with mental and behavioral health issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), which are common in these Veterans. Current behavioral interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) that are used to treat chronic insomnia are effective, but time-consuming. As a result, this largely younger, working cohort of Veterans does not use and benefit from these interventions as much as they could. The investigators will assess the usability and feasibility of two health information technology (HIT) tools for measuring objective and subjective sleep, and for self-managing chronic insomnia. An existing mobile sleep monitoring device used by some VA sleep clinics, the WatchPAT, will be used to measure objective sleep parameters in the Veteran's home. A benefit of this tool is that it can detect probable sleep apnea, which will permit referral of these Veterans for sleep apnea treatment instead of insomnia self-management. An existing VA mobile health application (or app), the CBTI Coach, can be used on a mobile device to teach skills to reduce insomnia based on the elements of manualized CBTI. The goal is to combine the WatchPAT and the CBTI Coach along with self-management guidance to help Veterans with chronic insomnia learn how to improve their sleep. As part of a 6-week pre-post intervention pilot usability and feasibility trial, patients will record their objective and subjective sleep at home at the beginning of the 6-week self-management trial and again at the end. Subjective sleep reports in the form of sleep diaries will be measured throughout the program as part of using the CBTI Coach app. The objective and subjective sleep reports will be combined and accessible from the mobile device and can be used to help guide sleep self-management by the participant. Self-management will be aided by self-management worksheets and features of the CBTI Coach App. Usability of the two HIT tools will be assessed within the conceptual framework of an Integrated Technology Acceptance Model via survey items about each of the HIT tools. Feasibility will be assessed using measures of the number of times that elements of the CBTI Coach were accessed during the 6-week program, and from a semi-structured qualitative interview conducted at the end of the program. In the interview, the investigators will obtain information about the barriers to and facilitators of use of the WatchPAT and CBTI Coach. If there is high use of these tools for insomnia self-management, then the pilot study will have provided important incremental value to the new VA CBTI Coach app. The investigators also will collect data about the user factors that impact use of the tools (e.g., depression, mild traumatic brain injury, age), and thereby either be able to target the tools toward those most likely to use them, or suggest further developments to increase use by potential users. The pilot sample will provide preliminary data on sleep outcomes. The proposed work is responsive to multiple priority areas for HSR\&D including Healthcare Informatics, Healthcare Access, Mental and Behavioral Health, and Post-deployment Health. By partnering with the VA Office of Connected Health (Web and Mobile Solutions), the VA's eHealth QUERI, and the developers of the VA CBTI Coach App, the investigators will ensure that these findings are maximally useful for future versions of the CBTI Coach app. The investigators also will be able to determine the usefulness of an integrated mobile sleep assessment and self-management program that can be used by Veterans anywhere.

02

Conditions studied

  • Chronic Insomnia

Keywords

  • chronic insomnia
  • Veterans Health
03

In context

Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

1,856 studies on the registry are indexed under Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; 594 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 38 is below the median of 73 across 1,631 interventional studies indexed under Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders.

Browse Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development is the lead sponsor of 1,733 studies on the registry; 396 are open to participants now.

Of its 206 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 180 (87%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must have served in the most recent wars in Iraq or Afghanistan (OIF, OEF or OND),
  • be age 21-65,
  • report current insomnia as defined by an Insomnia Index Severity 40 score > 10 5,79,
  • and report insomnia duration of at least 1 month and impaired daytime functioning (as measured by endorsing Much or Very Much on ISI Item 7 about how much sleep problems interfere with daily functioning).
  • In addition, eligible individuals must be willing to use a device provided by the study team (an iPod touch).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Exclusions will include self-reported (or in-study determined) sleep apnea that is more than mild,
  • periodic leg movements,
  • or circadian rhythm disorder (delayed or advanced sleep phase).
  • Exclusions for WatchPAT use include use of alpha blockers or short-acting nitrates,
  • permanent pacemaker, or
  • sustained non-sinus cardiac arrhythmias. Sleep apnea will be assessed from the WatchPAT on the first night of objective sleep testing and participants excluded from further participation if apnea is documented.
  • Other exclusions include moderate to severe cognitive impairment defined by scores on the Telephone Mini Mental State Exam,
  • inability to speak and read English,
  • or malformation of the fingers that would preclude use of the WatchPAT device.
  • In addition, individuals meeting criteria for current active psychosis, mania, suicidal ideation with plan and intent, or excessive alcohol use as determined using the AUDIT-C will be excluded from participation.
  • Those with greater than mild sleep apnea as determined based on a WatchPAT-based Apnea-Hypopnea Index [AHI] > 15/hour of sleep, will be withdrawn from the study and referred for sleep apnea treatment.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
38 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach mobile app

    Individuals use the WatchPAT sleep monitor and the CBT-i Coach app to self-manage insomnia

    Device: WatchPAT sleep monitor · Behavioral: CBT-i Coach mobile app

Interventions

  • DeviceWatchPAT sleep monitor

    Self-management of insomnia using a mobile sleep device

  • BehavioralCBT-i Coach mobile app

    Self-management of insomnia using a mobile app based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Participants Using WatchPAT

    Use of WatchPAT on 3 nights. In Week 0 it is the number of participants who used the WatchPAT that Week (and participants had two possible nights during that week that they could use the WatchPAT). In Week 6 it is the number of participants who used the WatchPAT that Week (and participants had one night that they could use the WatchPAT). We measured participant adherence using a count of the number of participants who used the WatchPAT at Week 0, and the number of participants using the WatchPAT at Week 6.

    Time frame: Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)

  2. Number of Participants Using CBT-I Coach

    CBT = Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Use of CBT-I Coach sleep diaries in Week 0 and Week 6. We measured participant adherence by a count of the number of participants who used the CBT-I Coach at Week 0 (by our definition of use), and the number of participants using the CBT-I Coach at Week 6. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data.

    Time frame: Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Insomnia Severity Index Score

    Validated self-report measure of Insomnia Symptom Severity (ISI). The minimum ISI scale score is 0, the maximum scale score is 28, and higher scores indicate worse insomnia. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data in the form of means (and standard deviation).

    Time frame: Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 4 (Mid-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)

  2. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Total Score

    Validated self-report measure of self-reported sleep quality. The minimum PSQI Total scale score is 0, the maximum scale score is 21 and higher scale scores indicate worse subjective sleep quality. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data in the form of means (and standard deviation).

    Time frame: Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 4 (Mid-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)

  3. Functional Outcomes of Sleep Score

    Validated self-report short-form (10 item) measure of Functional Outcomes of Sleep-10 (FOSQ-10). The minimum FOSQ score is 5, the maximum score is 20, and higher scores indicate better functioning. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data in the form of means (and standard deviation).

    Time frame: Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 4 (Mid-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)

07

Results

Posted Mar 9, 2018

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneWatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Started38
Completed11
Not completed27
Withdrew: Greater than mild sleep apnea exclusion18
Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject1
Withdrew: Lost to follow-up8

Outcome measures

PrimaryNumber of Participants Using WatchPAT

Use of WatchPAT on 3 nights. In Week 0 it is the number of participants who used the WatchPAT that Week (and participants had two possible nights during that week that they could use the WatchPAT). In Week 6 it is the number of participants who used the WatchPAT that Week (and participants had one night that they could use the WatchPAT). We measured participant adherence using a count of the number of participants who used the WatchPAT at Week 0, and the number of participants using the WatchPAT at Week 6.

Time frame:
Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants Using WatchPAT
ParticipantsWatchPAT and CBT-i Coach Mobile App
Number of Participants using WatchPAT at Baseline11
Number of Participants using WatchPAT at Week 611
PrimaryNumber of Participants Using CBT-I Coach

CBT = Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Use of CBT-I Coach sleep diaries in Week 0 and Week 6. We measured participant adherence by a count of the number of participants who used the CBT-I Coach at Week 0 (by our definition of use), and the number of participants using the CBT-I Coach at Week 6. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data.

Time frame:
Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
Number of Participants Using CBT-I Coach
ParticipantsWatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Participants using CBT-I Coach at Baseline11
Participants using CBT-I Coach Week 69
SecondaryInsomnia Severity Index Score

Validated self-report measure of Insomnia Symptom Severity (ISI). The minimum ISI scale score is 0, the maximum scale score is 28, and higher scores indicate worse insomnia. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data in the form of means (and standard deviation).

Time frame:
Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 4 (Mid-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Insomnia Severity Index Score
units on a scaleWatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Insomnia Severity Score at Baseline16.6 ± 5.6
Insomnia Severity Score at Week 412.4 ± 4.5
Insomnia Severity Score at Week 612.8 ± 3.7
SecondaryPittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Total Score

Validated self-report measure of self-reported sleep quality. The minimum PSQI Total scale score is 0, the maximum scale score is 21 and higher scale scores indicate worse subjective sleep quality. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data in the form of means (and standard deviation).

Time frame:
Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 4 (Mid-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Total Score
units on a scaleWatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
PSQI Total Score at Baseline12.8 ± 4.6
PSQI Total Score at Week 410.4 ± 2.7
PSQI Total Score at Week 610.7 ± 3.3
SecondaryFunctional Outcomes of Sleep Score

Validated self-report short-form (10 item) measure of Functional Outcomes of Sleep-10 (FOSQ-10). The minimum FOSQ score is 5, the maximum score is 20, and higher scores indicate better functioning. Because of the small number of completers and because this is a feasibility study, we provide only descriptive data in the form of means (and standard deviation).

Time frame:
Week 0 (Pre-Intervention) and Week 4 (Mid-Intervention) and Week 6 (Post-Intervention)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Functional Outcomes of Sleep Score
units on a scaleWatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
FOSQ Score at Baseline13.9 ± 3.7
FOSQ Score at Week 415.2 ± 3.8
FOSQ Score at Week 615.4 ± 2.9

Adverse events

Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App0/38 (0%)0/38 (0%)0/38 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Mean44.3 ± 10.9
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Female6
Male32
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Hispanic or Latino5
Not Hispanic or Latino33
Unknown or Not Reported0
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
American Indian or Alaska Native0
Asian0
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0
Black or African American2
White31
More than one race3
Unknown or Not Reported2
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(Participants)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
United States38
Height
Height(inches)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Mean68.6 ± 3.8
Weight
Weight(pounds)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Mean195.9 ± 40.5
Usability Satisfaction with Care
Usability Satisfaction with Care(units on a scale)WatchPAT and CBT-i Coach App
Mean14.6 ± 3.1

12 further baseline measures are reported on the registry.

08

Study locations

1 site
  • Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA
    Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Reilly ED, Robinson SA, Petrakis BA, Kuhn E, Pigeon WR, Wiener RS, McInnes DK, Quigley KS. Mobile App Use for Insomnia Self-Management: Pilot Findings on Sleep Outcomes in Veterans. Interact J Med Res. 2019 Jul 24;8(3):e12408. doi: 10.2196/12408. PubMed 31342904 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 20, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02392000
Lead sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
Collaborators
University of Rochester, Northeastern University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 18, 2015
Start date
Oct 20, 2015
Primary completion
Nov 16, 2016
Completion
Nov 16, 2016
Results posted
Mar 9, 2018
Last update
Apr 20, 2018

Study contacts

Karen S. Quigley, PhD
principal investigator · Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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