Promoting Sleep to Alleviate Pain - Arthroplasty

Although preoperative sleep disturbance is associated with poorer acute postoperative pain control, as well as development of chronic postsurgical pain, only very limited attempts have been made to target preoperative sleep to achieve improved postoperative outcomes. This study addresses two chronic pain populations, TKA and THA patients, that suffer severely due to both sleep disturbance and painful symptoms. Patients who meet eligibility criteria, including insomnia severity index score >10 and confirmed DSM-V criteria for persistent insomnia disorder, will be randomized to a brief, hybrid version of CBT-I or sleep education therapy over a 4-week period, before surgery. The CBT-I will focus on the two components which have shown the highest efficacy for sleep improvement, sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control. The CBT-I treatment will be administered in self-guided digital format with addition of telehealth video-consultations with a psychologist one time per week. The sleep education therapy will also be provided in a hybrid format, including digital sessions and video-consultations with a research nurse. There will also be a booster session 1-2 weeks postoperative for both interventions. Participants will be carefully evaluated during on-site visits two times preoperative, pre- and post-intervention, and one time 6 months postoperative. During on-site visits, participants will complete multiple questionnaires (covering pain, pain catastrophizing, mental health, physical function, activity etc), undergo digital cognitive testing, quantitative sensory testing (QST, to determine pain detection thresholds to different stimuli, assess temporal summation, pain inhibitory capacity), provide blood samples, and initiate actigraphy (objective assessment of sleep continuity measures). In addition to the on-site visits, participants will complete questionnaires remotely 3 and 12 months after surgery.

Inclusion criteria

• age ≥18 years
• insomnia severity index score >10
• fulfill DSM-V criteria for persistent insomnia disorder
• average pain numerical rating scale (NRS) score ≥4 (scale 0 - 10) and/or movement-related pain NRS score ≥4 after 5 minutes walking
• scheduled to undergo primary (first-time, i.e., not revision surgery) TKA or THA due to osteoarthritis

Exclusion criteria

• uncontrolled medical disorders
• nightshift work
• ongoing major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, substance dependence
• current history or high likelihood of primary sleep disorders (other than insomnia), including obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, narcolepsy, nocturnal myoclonus
• severely impaired vision (precluding ability to take part of study interventions)