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InsomniaNCT06259682

A Mixed-method Pilot Investigation of Paradoxical Intention for Insomnia.

A study testing Paradoxical Intention in people with Insomnia and Comorbidities and Coexisting Conditions, run by Örebro University, Sweden at 3 sites in Sweden.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

The investigators aim to test the preliminary efficacy as well as the acceptability and feasibility of paradoxical intention, which is a psychotherapeutic technique, for improving insomnia symptoms in adults. Previous research has tested this technique for insomnia and found overall positive results. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 90 years
What is being tested?
Paradoxical Intention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
40 participants
Where
3 sitesSweden
Study dates
Sep 2024to Jun 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 90 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Undergoing three screening phases: a web-based questionnaire, a telephone interview with a structured assessment, and a 7-day sleep diary completion.
  • Screening resulting in diagnosis of insomnia, including co-morbid insomnia.
  • Participant should fulfill the following DSM-5 criteria. (1)Difficulty in sleep Initiation, maintenance, or early morning awakening. (2)Frequency and duration of at least three nights per week and has been present for at least three months.(3) Problems persist despite candidates having had adequate opportunity and circumstances for sleep. (4) The sleep disturbance causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, educational, academic, behavioral, or other important areas of functioning.
  • Age above 18 and Swedish resident and language proficient.

Who cannot join

  • Severe depressive episode with suicidal intentions or actions
  • Current or past diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorders
  • Current substance use disorder
  • Recent changes in psychopharmacotherapy (within the last three months) or use of "as-needed" hypnotic medications during the trial.

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

Annika Norell contact

+4619302259

Annika.Norell@oru.se

Sweden3 sites
  • Örebro University

    Örebro, Örebro County

    Annika Norell, Annika.Norell@oru.se

    Osame Salim, +4619302259, osame.salim@oru.se

  • Karolinska Institutet

    Stockholm

    Christina Sandlund, Christina.Sandlund@ki.se

  • Karolinska Institute

    Stockholm

    Markus Jansson-Fröjmark, markus.jansson-frojmark@ki.se

Other trials in Sweden

About this study

Official title: A Mixed-method Pilot Investigation of Paradoxical Intention for Insomnia. Assessing Acceptability, Feasibility and Preliminary Effectiveness.

The investigators aim to test the preliminary efficacy as well as the acceptability and feasibility of paradoxical intention, which is a psychotherapeutic technique, for improving insomnia symptoms in adults. Previous research has tested this technique for insomnia and found overall positive results. However, during the last decades very few studies have examined paradoxical intention. Therefore the investigators wish to conduct a pilot study examining the effects in a modern context.

Read the detailed description

In the 1970s, Ascher and Efran developed paradoxical intention (PI), instructing sleep onset insomnia patients to stay awake instead of trying to sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine confirmed PI's effectiveness. However, between 2006-2018, PI use in clinical practice declined.

The study will investigate PI's acceptability, mechanisms, and predictors for effectiveness. It involves a pilot trial with 40 insomnia patients in Sweden, recruited through advertisements and screened through web questionnaires, phone interviews, and sleep diaries. Criteria are based on insomnia research standards and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fifth Edition (DSM-5), including insomnia with common comorbidities.

Participants will undergo baseline assessments, then receive four weekly online PI modules, including educational texts, behavioral experiments, and homework. Weekly therapist meetings via phone or video will support and troubleshoot issues.

Post-treatment, 10-15 participants will be randomly selected for qualitative interviews to evaluate their experiences with PI, focusing on sleep patterns, text volume, therapist support, and homework's impact on sleep quality and treatment adherence. Interviews will be audio-recorded and analyzed thematically.

Being tested
Paradoxical Intention
Keywords
Insomnia disorder, mechanisms, mixed-methods, paradoxical intention, sleep performance anxiety
Medical subject headings
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Paradoxical IntentionBehavioural

    Paradoxical intention (PI). PI is described as instructing patients with sleep onset insomnia to try to remain awake for as long as possible rather than to focus on trying to fall asleep

Study groups in NCT06259682
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention armOtherOnly one arm, all participants are given the treatment
Receives: Behavioral: Paradoxical Intention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)

    Measure of severity of insomnia

    Measured: Baseline (Week 0). Weekly assessments every week for four weeks, with a final assessment following the fourth and final module (total duration of 4 weeks). Follow-up assessment at 12 weeks post-treatment completion

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Sleep diary

    Idiographic sleep diary

    Measured: Baseline (Week 0). One assessment at week 2 of treatment program following second module and one at week 4 following the fourth and final module. Follow-up assessment at 12 weeks post-treatment completion

  2. Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS)

    Measure of functional impairment

    Measured: Baseline (Week 0). One assessment at week 4 of treatment program following the completion of the fourth and final module. Follow-up assessment at 12 weeks post-treatment completion

  3. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS)

    Measure of depressive anxiety symptoms

    Measured: Baseline (Week 0). One assessment at week 2 of treatment program following second module and one at week 4 following the fourth and final module. Follow-up assessment at 12 weeks post-treatment completion

  4. Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ

    Measure of quality of life.

    Measured: Baseline (Week 0). One assessment at week 4 of treatment program following the fourth and final module. Follow-up assessment at 12 weeks post-treatment completion

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted14 Feb 2024
  2. Study startSep 2024 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionJun 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Uncontrolled pilot study using mixed methods investigation.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
40 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06259682
Sponsor's protocol ID
2023-06594-01
Other IDs
2023
Status last verified
Aug 2024
First submitted
18 Jan 2024
Last updated
15 Aug 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Salim O, Jansson-Frojmark M, Sandlund C, Norell A. Paradoxical intention as a treatment for insomnia disorder: study protocol for a mixed-methods pilot trial. BMJ Open. 2024 Oct 10;14(10):e086676. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086676.

    PubMed 39389596

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Paradoxical Intention in people with Insomnia and Comorbidities and Coexisting Conditions, run by Örebro University, Sweden at 3 sites in Sweden.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Aug 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites in Sweden. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Annika Norell (+4619302259, Annika.Norell@oru.se), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) (time frame: Baseline (Week 0). Weekly assessments every week for four weeks, with a final assessment following the fourth and final module (total duration of 4 weeks). Follow-up assessment at 12 weeks post-treatment completion). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06259682, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Aug 2024.

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