Assessing Sleep Concerns in Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury: The Feasibility of a Smartpad Sleep Tool

The investigators examined the presence of disrupted sleep in acquired brain injury (ABI) and the utility of a mobile health program, MySleepScript, as an effective clinical tool to detect sleep disturbances.

A cross-sectional pilot study of MySleepScript, a customizable electronic battery of validated sleep questionnaires, was conducted. Participants were recruited at the Acquired Brain Injury Clinic at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Sixty-eight adults with ABI (mean age, 46.3 years [SD=14.8]) participated in the study, with a mean completion time of 16.6 minutes (SD=5.4). Time to completion did not differ on individual completion or staff assistance. The mean score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was 9.2 (SD=4.7); 83.9% of individuals had poor sleep quality (defined as a score >5). Insomnia Severity Index scores indicated moderate to severe insomnia in 45% of participants; 36.5% of participants screened positive for symptoms concerning sleep apnea, while 39.3% of individuals screened positive for restless legs syndrome.

Poor sleep quality was highly prevalent in this ABI cohort. MySleepScript may be an effective method of assessing for sleep disturbance in ABI. Further efforts to identify sleep disorders in this patient population should be pursued to optimize ABI management.