Social Experiences and Sleep Study (SASE)

University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Blood Pressure; Sleep

Treatments: Behavioral: Social rejection

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03937973

18-24889

R01HL142051 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will test the effect of race-based social rejection on polysomnography derived sleep outcomes and nocturnal cardiovascular psychophysiology in a sample of 80 African Americans and 80 Caucasian Americans. The investigators will test group differences on these outcomes as well as within subjects by testing impact of rejection compared to a non-rejection control night in the sleep laboratory.

Full description

African Americans (AA) are disproportionally burdened by cardiovascular disease compared to Caucasian Americans (CA). Poor sleep, which is more common among AA, may serve as an important pathway in understanding these disparities. Race-based rejection has been cross-sectionally related to poor sleep and negative cardiovascular outcomes. To test the links between social experiences and sleep, participants will spend two nights in the sleep laboratory. One night will be a control night where participants complete low arousal tasks prior to bedtime. On a second night, the investigators will randomize 80 AA and 80 CA to either race-based social rejection (i.e., being rejected by an out-group member) or same-race social rejection prior to bedtime to test the causal influences of race-based rejection on objective sleep parameters, measured using polysomnography, and nocturnal cardiovascular functioning. The investigators will test group differences on these outcomes as well as within subjects by testing impact of rejection compared to a non-rejection control night in the sleep laboratory. The order of the control and rejection task night will be counterbalanced.

Enrollment: 139 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 64 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age: 18 to 64 years old
• Self-identified as African American/Black or Caucasian American/White
• English speaking, able to provide consent
• Self-reported bedtime between 10PM and 12AM for 5/7 nights for the past 3 months (stability to be confirmed by sleep diary and wrist actigraphy).
• Self-reported sleep duration between 6.5 and 8.5 hours for 5/7 nights for the last month (duration to be confirmed by actigraphy and sleep diary)

Exclusion criteria

• Body mass index of 40 or above
• Participants at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, based on "high risk" score from the STOP-Bang.
• Medical or psychiatric condition, as assessed by self-report and clinical interview that affect sleep and/or cardiovascular functioning, including doctor diagnosed arrhythmia, hypertension, congestive heart failure, major depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Medication use that is likely to affect sleep and/or cardiovascular functioning, including antidepressants, anxiolytic or soporific medication, and beta-blockers.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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139 participants in 2 patient groups

Social rejection by in-group

Experimental group

Description:

One hour prior to bed, participants will be exposed to a social rejection paradigm that includes a computerized ball-tossing game (Cyberball) and a speech task. Participants are made to believe that they are being rejected by someone of their own race/ethnicity (e.g., African American rejected by another African American).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social rejection

Social rejection by out-group

Experimental group

Description:

One hour prior to bed, participants will be exposed to a social rejection paradigm that includes a computerized ball-tossing game (Cyberball) and a speech task. Participants are made to believe that they are being rejected by someone not of their own race/ethnicity (e.g., Caucasian American rejected by another African American).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social rejection