Effects of sleep deprivation on sleep homeostasis and restoration during methadone-maintenance: a [31]P MRS brain imaging study

A Pilot Crossover Trial of Sleep Medications for Sleep-disturbed Methadone Maintenance Patients

OBJECTIVES

Problems with sleep are a common and detrimental occurrence among individuals who receive methadone maintenance for opioid use disorder (OUD).

METHODS

We enrolled ten methadone-maintained persons with insomnia (60% female, mean age 40) in a double-blind trial using actigraphy to confirm daily sleep reports. After a no-medication week to establish baseline sleep patterns, each participant received 1 week each of mirtazapine (30 mg), zolpidem (sustained-release 12.5 mg), mirtazapine (30 mg IR) plus zolpidem (10 mg), and placebo, with a washout week between each medication week. Study medication order was randomized so that the order of each 1-week medication treatment was different for each participant, but all participants received all 4 regimens.

RESULTS

We found that mirtazapine alone improved total sleep (mean 23 minutes), sleep latency (mean 23 minutes), and sleep efficiency (mean 3%), surpassing the other regiments.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot work suggests that mirtazapine is worthy of further testing as a sleep aid for persons with OUD receiving methadone maintenance.

The Relevance of Dual Diagnoses among Drug-Dependent Patients with Sleep Disorders

BACKGROUND

Sleep disorders are often associated with drug use. Nearly 70% of patients admitted for detoxification report sleep problems. Dual disorder (DD) is the comorbidity between mental disorders in general and disorders related to psychoactive substance use. The association between substance use and sleep disorders (SD) appears to be bidirectional. Our objective is to analyze the association between sleep disturbance history and drug use pattern (alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and cocaine).

METHODS

Analysis of data in the first interview at the Addictions Unit of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Salamanca Health Care Complex between October 2017 and January 2020. The sample consists of 398 patients. We studied the association between different variables: origin of patients (Inpatient Dual Diagnosis Detoxification Unit (IDDDU) vs. Outpatient Drug Clinic (ODC), presence of affective disorder, psychotic disorder, type of drug used, and treatment.

RESULTS

Of patients with DD, 62% had more delayed sleep induction, sleep fragmentation, early awakening, and nightmares. Outpatients had more difficulty falling asleep because, in many cases, they had not previously sought any medical assistance. On the other hand, 67% of the patients with insomnia presented depression.

CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence of a harmful association between DD and SD.

Factors Associated with Sleep Disorders among Methadone-Maintained Drug Users in Vietnam

Sleep quality among heroin-dependent patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is not fully investigated in Vietnam. This study explored the prevalence of poor sleep quality in methadone-maintained patients and associated factors. This cross-sectional included 395 MMT patients at three clinics in Nam Dinh province, Vietnam. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was employed to measure patients’ sleep quality. Sociodemographic, clinical, behavioral, psychological, and social support characteristics were collected. Multivariate Logistic and Generalized Linear Regression models were applied to identify associated factors. Among 395 patients, 26.6% had poor sleep quality according to the PSQI scale. People having jobs were less likely to have poor sleep quality and lower PSQI scores compared to unemployed patients. Those having spouses had lower PSQI scores than single patients. High depression, anxiety, and stress scores were associated with poor sleep quality and high PSQI scores. A longer duration of MMT increased the likelihood of experiencing poor sleep quality. Patients smoking tobacco daily or concurrently using drugs had lower PSQI scores than those that did not. This study highlights a moderate prevalence of poor sleep quality among Vietnamese MMT patients. Regular evaluation, appropriate psychological management, and social support, as well as the provision of employment opportunities, potentially improve the sleep quality of methadone-maintained patients.

Predictors of sleep disturbance in heroin users receiving methadone maintenance therapy: a naturalistic study in Taiwan

INTRODUCTION

Sleep disturbance is a major health concern for heroin users receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The present study was aimed to investigate the predictors for new-onset clinically predominant sleep disturbance (CPSD) among heroin users receiving MMT.

METHODS

This 2-year retrospective study included 152 individuals (127 males and 25 females) with heroin use disorder who visited our MMT clinics for the first time. A univariate Cox proportional hazards regression model (Cox model) was used to estimate the potential factors of subsequent CPSD, followed by a multivariate Cox model to identify significant predictors of CPSD after adjusting for other covariates.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine (19.1%) participants developed CPSD during the 2-year period. After forward selection in the Cox model, earlier age at onset of heroin exposure (OR=0.95; P=0.044), lower attendance rate (OR =0.04; P=0.03), greater maximum dose of methadone (OR =1.01; P=0.022), and shorter time to maximum methadone dose (OR =0.98; P=0.007) were significantly associated with new-onset CPSD.

CONCLUSION

We identified predictors that were significantly associated with new-onset CPSD, and clinicians should be aware of sleep disturbance in heroin users receiving MMT with these risk factors. Future studies are necessary to verify our findings and extend the applicability.

Sleep abnormalities associated with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and opiate use: a comprehensive review

Sleep abnormalities are associated with acute and chronic use of addictive substances. Although sleep complaints associated with use and abstinence from addictive substances are widely recognized, familiarity with the underlying sleep abnormalities is often lacking, despite evidence that these sleep abnormalities may be recalcitrant and impede good outcomes. Substantial research has now characterized the abnormalities associated with acute and chronic use of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and opiates. This review summarizes this research and discusses the clinical implications of sleep abnormalities in the treatment of substance use disorders.

Clinical Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suan Zao Ren Tang, for Sleep Disturbance during Methadone Maintenance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Methadone maintenance therapy is an effective treatment for opiate dependence, but more than three-quarters of persons receiving the treatment report sleep quality disturbances. In this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, we recruited 90 individuals receiving methadone for at least one month who reported sleep disturbances and had Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores > 5. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Suan Zao Ren Tang, one of the most commonly prescribed traditional Chinese medications for treatment of insomnia, improves subjective sleep among methadone-maintained persons with disturbed sleep quality. Ninety patients were randomly assigned to intervention group (n = 45) and placebo group (n = 45), and all participants were analyzed. Compared with placebo treatment, Suan Zao Ren Tang treatment for four weeks produced a statistically significant improvement in the mean total PSQI scores (P = 0.007) and average sleep efficiency (P = 0.017). All adverse events (e.g., lethargy, diarrhea, and dizziness) were mild in severity. Suan Zao Ren Tang is effective for improving sleep quality and sleep efficiency among methadone-maintained patients with sleep complaints.

The Utility of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Understanding Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The aim of this article is to present a systematic review of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies of substance use disorders. As a noninvasive and nonionizing imaging technique, MRS is being widely used in substance abuse research to evaluate the effects substances of abuse have on brain chemistry. Nearly 40 peer-reviewed research articles that focused on the utility of MRS in alcohol, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, cocaine, opiates, opioids, marijuana, and nicotine use disorders were reviewed. Findings indicate inconsistencies with respect to alterations in brain chemistry within each substance of abuse, and the most consistent finding across substances was decreased N-acetylaspartate and choline levels with chronic alcohol, methamphetamine, and nicotine use. Variation in the brain regions studied, imaging technique, as well as small sample sizes might explain the discrepancies in findings within each substance. Future well-designed MRS studies offer promise in examining novel treatment approaches in substance use disorders.

Gray matter-specific changes in brain bioenergetics after acute sleep deprivation: a 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 4 Tesla

STUDY OBJECTIVES

A principal function of sleep may be restoration of brain energy metabolism caused by the energetic demands of wakefulness. Because energetic demands in the brain are greater in gray than white matter, this study used linear mixed-effects models to examine tissue-type specific changes in high-energy phosphates derived using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after sleep deprivation and recovery sleep.

DESIGN

Experimental laboratory study.

SETTING

Outpatient neuroimaging center at a private psychiatric hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 32 MRS scans performed in eight healthy individuals (mean age 35 y; range 23-51 y).

INTERVENTIONS

Phosphocreatine (PCr) and β-nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) were measured using 31P MRS three dimensional-chemical shift imaging at high field (4 Tesla) after a baseline night of sleep, acute sleep deprivation (SD), and 2 nights of recovery sleep. Novel linear mixed-effects models were constructed using spectral and tissue segmentation data to examine changes in bioenergetics in gray and white matter.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

PCr increased in gray matter after 2 nights of recovery sleep relative to SD with no significant changes in white matter. Exploratory analyses also demonstrated that increases in PCr were associated with increases in electroencephalographic slow wave activity during recovery sleep. No significant changes in β-NTP were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that sleep deprivation and subsequent recovery-induced changes in high-energy phosphates primarily occur in gray matter, and increases in PCr after recovery sleep may be related to sleep homeostasis.

Sleep disturbances and pain among individuals with prescription opioid dependence

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep quality has been observed in individuals with substance use disorders and is often a trigger for relapse. To date, little research has investigated sleep quality among individuals with prescription opioid (PO) dependence. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining subjective and objective sleep disturbances among PO dependent individuals.

METHODS

Subjects were 68 non-treatment seeking individuals (33 PO dependent, 35 healthy controls). Subjective sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Subjects were admitted for an overnight inpatient hospital stay during which objective sleep data was collected using an actigraphy device. Self-report pain was measured with the Brief Pain Inventory.

RESULTS

Significant group differences in subjective sleep quality were revealed in the PSQI (p<0.01) and ISI (p<0.01). Poor sleep quality (i.e., PSQI total score>5) was identified in 80.6% of the PO group, as compared to 8.8% of the control group (p<.001). Significant group differences in sleep quality were identified in five of six actigraphy variables: total time asleep, sleep efficiency, latency of onset of sleep, total time awake and time mobile. Furthermore, significant associations between pain severity and sleep quality were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate high rates of sleep impairment and poor sleep quality among PO dependent individuals. Pain severity was significantly correlated with sleep quality. Although preliminary, the findings highlight the importance of assessing and treating sleep disturbances, as well as pain, among patients with PO dependence.

Effects of sleep deprivation on brain bioenergetics, sleep, and cognitive performance in cocaine-dependent individuals

In cocaine-dependent individuals, sleep is disturbed during cocaine use and abstinence, highlighting the importance of examining the behavioral and homeostatic response to acute sleep loss in these individuals. The current study was designed to identify a differential effect of sleep deprivation on brain bioenergetics, cognitive performance, and sleep between cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants. 14 healthy control and 8 cocaine-dependent participants experienced consecutive nights of baseline, total sleep deprivation, and recovery sleep in the research laboratory. Participants underwent ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) brain imaging, polysomnography, Continuous Performance Task, and Digit Symbol Substitution Task. Following recovery sleep, ³¹P MRS scans revealed that cocaine-dependent participants exhibited elevated global brain β-NTP (direct measure of adenosine triphosphate), α-NTP, and total NTP levels compared to those of healthy controls. Cocaine-dependent participants performed worse on the Continuous Performance Task and Digit Symbol Substitution Task at baseline compared to healthy control participants, but sleep deprivation did not worsen cognitive performance in either group. Enhancements of brain ATP levels in cocaine dependent participants following recovery sleep may reflect a greater impact of sleep deprivation on sleep homeostasis, which may highlight the importance of monitoring sleep during abstinence and the potential influence of sleep loss in drug relapse.

Pain and motives for use among non-treatment seeking individuals with prescription opioid dependence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Patients with prescription opioid use disorders and co-occurring pain present a formidable challenge for healthcare providers, and little is known about patients with this dual diagnosis. This study examined the prevalence of pain and motives for use among individuals with prescription opioid dependence.

METHODS

Participants (N = 127) included 86 non-treatment seeking individuals with current prescription opioid dependence and 41 healthy controls. They were administered a battery of assessments to evaluate pain and substance use.

RESULTS

Participants with prescription opioid dependence were significantly more likely than controls to report current pain (62.2 vs. 12.2%), as well as higher levels of pain interference and severity. The most common source of prescription opioids was a physician (91.3%) and the most common motive for using prescription opioids, initially and currently, was to relieve pain (70.3% and 81.0%, respectively). Motivation for subsequent non-medical use of prescription opioids included to get high (73.8%), to increase energy (71.0%), to decrease anxiety (51.2%), and to improve sleep (35.7%).

CONCLUSION

Pain is a significant comorbidity and motivator for the non-medical use of prescription opioids. Provider and patient education regarding the safe use of prescription opioids, as well as interventions targeting prescription opioid dependence, are needed.

Genetic polymorphisms in the opioid receptor mu1 gene are associated with changes in libido and insomnia in methadone maintenance patients

Methadone, a synthetic racemic opioid that primarily works as a μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) agonist, is commonly used for the treatment of heroin addiction. Genetic association studies have reported that the OPRM1 gene is involved in the physiology of heroin and alcohol addiction. Our current study is designed to test the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms in the OPRM1 gene region are associated with methadone dosage, plasma concentrations, treatment responses, adverse reactions and withdrawal symptoms in a methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) cohort from Taiwan. Fifteen OPRM1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected and genotyped using DNA samples from 366 MMT patients. The plasma concentrations of methadone and its metabolite were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The results obtained using dominant model analysis indicate that the OPRM1 SNPs rs1074287, rs6912029, rs12209447, rs510769, rs3798676, rs7748401, rs495491, rs10457090, rs589046, rs3778152, rs563649, and rs2075572 are significantly associated with change-in-libido side effects (adjusted p<0.042). Using recessive model analysis, these SNPs were also found to be significantly associated with insomnia side effects in this cohort (p<0.009). The significance of the insomnia findings was mainly contributed by a subgroup of patients who had a positive urine morphine test (p<0.022), and by individuals who did not use benzodiazepine hypnotics (p<0.034). Our current data thus suggest that genetic polymorphisms in OPRM1 may influence the change-in-libido and insomnia side effects sometimes found in MMT patients.

Neuropharmacology of Sleep and Wakefulness: 2012 Update

The development of sedative/hypnotic molecules has been empiric rather than rational. The empiric approach has produced clinically useful drugs but for no drug is the mechanism of action completely understood. All available sedative/hypnotic medications have unwanted side effects and none of these medications creates a sleep architecture that is identical to the architecture of naturally occurring sleep. This chapter reviews recent advances in research aiming to elucidate the neurochemical mechanisms regulating sleep and wakefulness. One promise of rational drug design is that understanding the mechanisms of sedative/hypnotic action will significantly enhance drug safety and efficacy.

Response inhibition and psychomotor speed during methadone maintenance: impact of treatment duration, dose, and sleep deprivation

BACKGROUND

In opiate-dependent individuals, abstinence results in deficits in cognitive functioning, which may be exacerbated by medication-associated sleep disruption.

METHOD

To assess cognitive function and the influence of sleep deprivation (SD), 14 healthy control (HC) and 22 methadone maintained (MM) participants completed the continuous performance task (CPT) after a baseline night, a night of total SD, and two recovery sleep nights. The digit symbol substitution task (DSST) was administered at bedtime and in the morning. Secondary analyses separated MM participants into short- (< 12 months; n=8) and long-term (≥ 12 months; n=14) treatment duration groups, and into low- (< 80 mg; n=9) and high-dose (≥ 80 mg; n=13) groups.

RESULTS

Linear mixed model ANOVAs revealed that there was no effect of SD. Across all days MM participants had more errors of omission, fewer correct responses, and slower reaction times (RTs) on the CPT, and fewer accurate substitutions on the evening and morning DSST. Short-term MM participants exhibited slower RTs on the CPT, and fewer correct substitutions on the evening DSST compared to long-term MM participants. Low-dose MM participants had slower RTs on the CPT than HCs and high-dose MM participants.

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrate that methadone-maintained individuals exhibit poorer performance on tasks of psychomotor speed and selective attention/impulsivity, but with longer-term treatment, performance appears to return toward control levels. Furthermore, while one day of SD was enough to alter subjective reports of sleep quality, cognitive function may be more resilient.

Trazodone for sleep disturbance during methadone maintenance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

To test whether trazodone, one of the most commonly prescribed medications for treatment of insomnia, improves subjective and/or objective sleep among methadone-maintained persons with sleep complaints, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 6-month follow-up.

METHODS

From eight methadone maintenance programs in the northeastern United States, we recruited 137 persons receiving methadone for at least 1 month who reported a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score of six or higher. Two-night home polysomnography (PSG) was completed at baseline and 1 month later, with morning surveys and urine drug toxicologies. Interviews assessed sleep over the past 30 days at baseline and 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups.

RESULTS

Participants averaged 38 years of age, were 47% male, and had a mean PSQI total score of 12.9 (±3.1). At baseline, intervention groups did not significantly differ on 10 PSG-derived objective sleep measures and 11 self-reported measures. Over 88% (n=121) of participants completed the PSG at 1-month. Without adjusting p-values for multiple comparisons, only 1 of 21 sleep measure comparisons was statistically significant (p<.05). The effect of trazodone on mean PSQI scores during the 6-month follow-up was not statistically significant (p=.10). Trazodone neither significantly increased nor decreased illicit drug use relative to placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Trazodone did not improve subjective or objective sleep in methadone-maintained persons with sleep disturbance. Other pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments should be investigated for this population with high rates of insomnia.

Assessing sleep in opioid dependence: a comparison of subjective ratings, sleep diaries, and home polysomnography in methadone maintenance patients

OBJECTIVES

Comparisons of subjective and objective sleep measures have shown discrepancies between reported sleep and polysomnography (PSG) in non-drug dependent individuals with and without insomnia. Sleep may affect behavioral and physiologic aspects of drug abuse and dependence; patients in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for opioid dependence frequently report sleep problems. Whether subjective sleep reflects objective sleep in MMT patients is unknown. We undertook these analyses to establish the correlations among subjective and objective sleep measures in MMT patients.

METHODS

We compared one week of daily sleep diaries, one night of home PSG, a questionnaire completed the morning after PSG, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) as well as demographics and drug use measures in 62 MMT patients with disturbed sleep (PSQI score > 5).

RESULTS

Subjective and objective sleep durations were similar in this sample; average sleep times for the diary, morning questionnaire, and PSG were 340, 323, and 332 min, respectively. Average diary sleep time, subjective ratings of feeling rested, and PSG sleep efficiency were correlated significantly with PSQI score. Age was inversely correlated with PSG sleep time. Participants whose urine toxicology showed benzodiazapine use reported significantly longer sleep times on the morning questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Objective sleep measures confirm subjective measures in MMT patients with disturbed sleep. The high prevalence of sleep complaints in this population likely reflects pathology rather than sleep misperception. Both objective and subjective measures are useful in research and clinical settings for assessing sleep in opioid-dependent patients.