Paroxetine in the Treatment of Chronic Primary Insomnia

University of Pittsburgh

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Depression; Primary Insomnia

Treatments: Drug: paroxetine

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT00178048

970357

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of the study is to examine the role of paroxetine, an antidepressant medication, in the acute and continuation treatment of insomnia. Primary insomnia is a type of insomnia not directly resulting from general medical, chemical, or psychiatric conditions.

Full description

The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate the role of paroxetine in the acute treatment of chronic primary insomnia. Paroxetine taken on a nightly basis in combination with sleep hygiene therapy will produce a greater number of diagnostic responders in acute treatment, compared to a placebo and sleep hygiene control condition, in a randomized, double-blinded, six-week acute treatment trial. EEG sleep, sleep quality, and daytime well-being, and daytime functioning will also show superior treatment effects during acute treatment with paroxetine plus sleep hygiene, as compared with the placebo control condition.

A total of 66 patients with primary insomnia, as defined by DSM-IV criteria, will be randomized (1:1) to receive paroxetine plus sleep hygiene therapy (P+SH-a) or placebo plus sleep hygiene therapy (PL+SH-a) in weekly acute treatment sessions evolving over a six-week interval in a double-blinded, parallel group design.

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 55 or older
• Diagnosis of chronic primary insomnia
• Score of 8 or higher on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
• free of all antidepressants and benzodiazepine for two weeks

Exclusion criteria

• lifetime diagnosis of any psychotic disorder,or bipolar disorder.
• DSM-IV diagnosis of dysthymia or generalized anxiety disorder
• Diagnosis of major depression within the past 6 months
• Alcohol or drug abuse within the past 6 months
• Contraindication to SSRI therapy
• History of seizure disorder
• Baseline apnea/hypopnea index score greater than 15
• Hyponatremia

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind