This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Insomnia is a debilitating disorder which affects anywhere from 6% to 33% of the US population depending on the precision of the definition being used. Individuals with insomnia report problems including difficulty focusing/ concentrating, memory difficulties, impaired motor coordination, irritability and impaired social interactions. Chronic insomnia is associated with reduced quality of life, higher absenteeism, impaired job performance, and higher healthcare utilization. Insomnia treatment for most Americans involves the use of hypnotic medications. However, various side effects such as tolerance and dependency is associated with traditional hypnotic drugs and the long term effects of hypnotic usage in insomnia sufferers is largely unknown. Hypnotics may also be contraindicated because of a patient's current medication usage, a history of substance abuse, and/or existing medical conditions. On the other hand, behavioral treatments, which do not suffer from these shortcomings, have been found to be effective in treating insomnia and have more durable results than hypnotics, particularly with patients suffering from the sleep-onset type of insomnia. It has recently been discovered that sleep onset is best predicted by an increase in the amount of hand and foot warming relative to more proximal areas. Based on this finding a previous study investigating distal limb warming was performed and the findings suggest that it may be an effective technique to treat sleep onset difficulties. The goal is to further this work by developing a new behavorial treatment for insomnia based on heating patient's hands and feet via temperature biofeedback.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 370 publications
