Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Hypersomnia: A Pilot Trial

Current pharmacological treatments for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) can effectively reduce hypersomnolence but the health-related quality of life (HRQL) remains poor and a high proportion of patients experience depressive symptoms. This project seeks to address this research gap by developing a treatment protocol for cognitive-behavioral treatment for hypersomnia (CBT-H) and conducting a preliminary test of CBT-H for people with chronic hypersomnia (CH) and moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression. Thirty-two adults age 18 and over will be randomized to receive CBT-H delivered individually or in small groups using the same treatment components. Within each treatment arm, individuals will receive the intervention in-person or through an on-line video conferencing platform. Pre-specified benchmarks on clinical outcomes of depressive symptoms and HRQL will be used to determine the clinical impact and optimal delivery format of CBT-H and feasibility data will inform key methodological decisions for a future clinical trial. Should the findings warrant further testing, we plan to submit a grant to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The significance of this project is to improve the quality of care in sleep clinics by using a psychosocial intervention with medical management of hypersomnia.