359 Tailoring of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia for Patients with Kidney Failure Undergoing Hemodialysis: The SLEEP-HD Study

• Published in: Sleep (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 44; no. Supplement_2; p. A143
• Main Authors: McCurry, Susan, Cukor, Daniel, Clark, Carlyn, Brady, Nisha, Rue, Tessa, Unruh, Mark, Mehrotra, Rajnish
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Westchester Oxford University Press 03-05-2021
• Subjects: Behavior modification; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive therapy; Hemodialysis; Insomnia; Sleep; Telemedicine
• ISSN: 0161-8105; 1550-9109
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab072.358

Abstract
Introduction
Patients with kidney failure treated with hemodialysis (HD) frequently report insomnia symptoms. Cognitive-behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a first line treatment for insomnia but there are unique issues surrounding kidney failure and HD that impact patients’ ability to access CBT-I and follow standard treatment recommendations. This presentation describes CBT-I protocol modifications made to address these issues as part of an ongoing multi-center clinical trial testing the efficacy of telehealth CBT-I compared to trazodone or medication placebo control.
Methods
CBT-I protocol modifications were made prior to starting the SLEEP-HD randomized trial based upon unique clinical considerations for HD patients, e.g., irregular sleep-wake scheduling that HD treatment demands, and napping during HD sessions or afterwards due to post-HD treatment fatigue. Participants in the SLEEP-HD study are undergoing thrice-weekly maintenance hemodialysis for >3 months and have baseline Insomnia Severity Index scores >10 with sleep disturbances >3 nights/week for >3 months. Participants randomized into the modified CBT-I protocol receive six weekly sessions, delivered by trained CBT-I therapists (1 MSW, 1 PhD) face-to-face via a HIPPA-compliant video telehealth platform. Participants keep a daily sleep diary throughout the CBT-I treatment period.
Results
To date, 91 patients (mean age=56.5 years [SD=14.7], 48.4% female) recruited from community-based dialysis facilities in Seattle and Albuquerque have been randomized into the SLEEP-HD study (n=31 CBT-I). Forty-eight percent of CBT-I clients have chosen to conduct their telehealth sessions during dialysis with the remainder choosing a different location. CBT-I adaptations include therapists developing weekly bed restriction recommendations based on non-dialysis treatment days; allowing shifts in dialysis day “bed window” scheduling for patients with very early or very late dialysis schedules so long as a consistent total time in bed in maintained; and including napping during early/late dialysis sessions as part of the allowable bed window duration. Treatment modifications were also designed to accommodate the diverse socioeconomic circumstances of dialysis patients, including housing instability, which can impact adherence to some standard stimulus control and bed restriction CBT-I recommendations.
Conclusion
It is feasible to deliver CBT-I via telehealth to HD patients but modifications to standard protocols are required.
Support (if any)
This work was supported by PHS grant 5R01AG053221.