Addressing Sleep in Adolescents Post-Concussion ("ASAP Study"): A Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Hundreds of thousands of adolescents experience protracted recoveries from concussion, which can affect all aspects of their lives and create family and societal burden. Research suggests that interventions to improve their sleep quality and/or quality could improve recovery from concussion, but current treatment models are costly and onerous for families, fit poorly with integrated care models, and leave youth and their families to suffer months of protracted burden. This study will evaluate the efficacy of a promising brief behavioral sleep intervention, which could prove to be a powerful new tool to head off protracted symptom burden.

Inclusion Criteria:Had a concussion resulting in at least one persisting symptom at study entry 3-6 weeks later (initial visit 4-7 weeks post-injury). Those with Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms (PPCS) and poor sleep at the initial visit will be eligible for randomization. PPCS will be defined as: concussion (blow to the head with loss of consciousness <30 min, amnesia, or alteration in mental status) resulting in >1 new symptom on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale that persists at at least 4 weeks post-injury. Poor sleep quantity or quality will be defined as: (a) objective actigraphy showing less than recommended sleep (<8 hours) on school nights or spending <85% of the sleep period actually asleep, or (b) self-report of poor sleep quality (score >5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index).Exclusion Criteria:(a) lowest injury-related Glasgow coma scale (GCS) <13 or imaging evidence of intracranial abnormality, (b) previous more severe TBI or previous mTBI from which recovery was incomplete, (c) associated extracranial injury that could persistently impact sleep (e.g., due to immobility), (c) non-fluent in English, (d) previously-diagnosed intellectual disability, autism, bipolar disorder, or psychosis, (e) not attending in-person or virtual school requiring morning attendance, (f) use of medication known to substantially affect sleep (e.g., stimulant).