Researcher Sign-in

Sign-in to your account to find out the status of your proposal, or to update your current research project.

Project Title Tai Chi Effects on Chronic Insomnia in Breast Cancer Survivors: Immune Mechanisms

Researcher: Michael Irwin, MD, University of California, Los Angeles at University of California, Los Angeles

Study Abstract: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women. After completion of successful therapy, many behavioral symptoms persist with over 20% of breast cancer survivors reporting chronic insomnia of great than 6 months duration that fulfils clinical diagnostic criteria with associated functional limitation, decreased quality of life and possible effects on long-term survival. Behavioral interventions are highly efficacious in the treatment of insomnia and preferred over hypnotic medications when insomnia is chronic. However, that insomnia studies conducted in cancer are scarce. The proposed research builds upon a program of study that has examined the efficacy of a min-body intervention, Tai Chi Chih (TCC), on health outcomes including sleep impairments. Preliminary studies show that TCC, a slow moving meditation, contributes to improvements in subject sleep quality, sleep amounts and sleep efficiency. We have further found that sleep, fatigue, and proinflammatory cytokine activity are reciprocally related and that TCC decreases proinflammatory cytokine levels. Thus, we further hypothesize that cytokine networks is one physiological mechanism thru which TCC carries its effects on sleep outcomes. In this randomized trial, 100 breast cancer survivors will be randomly assigned to TCC or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) over 12 week and followed for one year. Prior to randomization to treatment, participants will be given a 6 week lead-in phase. The aims of the project are to: (1) Evaluate the effects of TCC vs. CBT on objective and subjective measures of sleep continuity, fatigue, and health functioning in breast cancer survivors with chronic insomnia; (2) determine the effects of TCC vs. CBT on measure of proinflammatory cytokine activity; (3) evaluate whether circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines temporally correlate with measures of sleep continuity in breast cancer survivors with insomnia over the course of the treatment trail. This project will constitute the first, randomized clinical trail of the effects of TCC on sleep outcomes in breast cancer survivors, and will advance psychobiological models of insomnia treatment mechanisms.

Connect with the Army: