Sleep and fatigue following traumatic brain injury.

This article reviews literature relating to sleep disturbance and fatigue after traumatic brain injury. It discusses the nature and prevalence of sleep disturbances associated with traumatic brain injury and the measures used to assess them. Potential causes are discussed, including damage to sleep-wake regulating centers, disruption of circadian timing of sleep, and secondary causes, such as pain, depression, and anxiety. The nature and assessment of fatigue are discussed, followed by a review of evidence regarding causes. Evidence is reviewed of the consequences of sleep disturbance and fatigue. Potential treatments of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic natures are reviewed.

Randomized controlled trial of light therapy for fatigue following traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common, persistent complaint following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Effective treatment is not well established. OBJECTIVE: .The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of 4 weeks of light therapy for fatigue in patients with TBI. METHODS: We undertook a randomized, placebo-controlled study of 4-week, 45 min/morning, home-based treatment with short wavelength (blue) light therapy (λmax = 465 nm, 84.8 µW/cm(2), 39.5 lux, 1.74 × 10(14) photons/cm(2)/s) compared with yellow light therapy (λmax = 574 nm, 18.5 µW/cm(2), 68 lux, 1.21 × 10(12) photons/cm(2)/s) containing less photons in the short wavelength range and a no treatment control group (n = 10 per group) in patients with TBI who self-reported fatigue and/or sleep disturbance. Assessments of fatigue and secondary outcomes (self-reported daytime sleepiness, depression, sleep quality, and sustained attention) were conducted over 10 weeks at baseline (week -2), midway through and at the end of light therapy (weeks 2 and 4), and 4 weeks following cessation of light therapy (week 8). RESULTS: After controlling age, gender, and baseline depression, treatment with high-intensity blue light therapy resulted in reduced fatigue and daytime sleepiness during the treatment phase, with evidence of a trend toward baseline levels 4 weeks after treatment cessation. These changes were not observed with lower-intensity yellow light therapy or no treatment control conditions. There was also no significant treatment effect observed for self-reported depression or psychomotor vigilance performance. CONCLUSIONS: Blue light therapy appears to be effective in alleviating fatigue and daytime sleepiness following TBI and may offer a noninvasive, safe, and nonpharmacological alternative to current treatments.

Actigraphic assessment of sleep disturbances following traumatic brain injury.

The current study examined the use of actigraphy in measurement of sleep following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Twenty-one patients with TBI and self-reported sleep and/or fatigue problems and 21 non-injured controls were studied over seven days using actigraphy and sleep diary reports. Although strong associations between diary and actigraphic assessment of sleep duration were observed in both participant groups, agreement between these methods appeared to weaken in patients with TBI. Associations between sleep diary and actigraphic assessments of sleep disturbance, i.e., wake after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep onset latency (SOL) were not apparent in either group, although weaker agreement between methods for WASO was again observed in patients with TBI. Actigraphy may prove useful to supplement self-report measures of sleep following TBI. More work is required to understand the accuracy of these measures in this population.

Changes in sleep patterns following traumatic brain injury: a controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep changes are frequently reported following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have an impact on rehabilitation and quality of life following injury. Potential causes include injury to brain regions associated with sleep regulation, as well as secondary factors, including depression, anxiety, and pain. Understanding the nature and causes of sleep changes following TBI represents a vital step in developing effective treatments. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate subjective sleep changes in a community-based sample of individuals with TBI in comparison with noninjured age- and sex-matched controls and to explore the impact of secondary factors (pain, anxiety, depression, employment) on these self-reported sleep changes. METHODS: A total of 153 participants with mild to severe TBI and 128 noninjured controls completed self-report measures relating to their sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, mood, fatigue, and pain and completed a sleep diary each day for 7 days. RESULTS: Compared with the noninjured controls, participants with TBI reported significantly poorer sleep quality and higher levels of daytime sleepiness; sleep diaries revealed longer sleep onset latency, poorer sleep efficiency, longer sleep duration, and more frequent daytime napping in the TBI group, as well as earlier bedtimes and greater total sleep duration. Anxiety, depression, and pain were associated with poorer sleep quality. Greater injury severity was also associated with a need for longer sleep time. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the importance of assessing and addressing pain, anxiety, and depression as part of the process of treating TBI-related sleep disturbances.

Sustained attention following traumatic brain injury: use of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task.

OBJECTIVE: Deficits in sustained attention are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI), as a result of primary (i.e., neuropathology) and/or secondary factors (i.e., fatigue, sleep disturbance, depressed mood). The extent to which secondary factors play a role in attention deficits is relatively unexamined. Moreover, the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) is seldom used in TBI assessment despite its sensitivity to secondary factors observed following injury. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the usefulness of the auditory PVT in identifying attentional difficulties in patients with TBI compared with noninjured controls, and also to explore the impact of fatigue, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness on sustained attention performances. METHOD: Participants (n = 20 per group) completed the auditory PVT and self-report measures of fatigue, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and depression. RESULTS: Compared to controls, patients with TBI had widespread PVT deficits including slower response times, increased response variability and attention lapses, and delayed responding in the slowest 10% of responses. Distribution analyses suggested this was likely due to generalized cognitive slowing. Self-reported secondary factors had varying impacts on aspects of PVT performance, with self-reported fatigue exhibiting a more global impact on attention performance. CONCLUSIONS: The auditory PVT is a sensitive measure of sustained attention deficits in patients with TBI, with aspects of performance influenced by fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression.