Abstract
Introduction
Both trazodone and cognitive-behavioral treatment of insomnia (CBT-I) are widely used to treat patients with chronic insomnia. Animal studies have shown that trazodone increases slow wave sleep (i.e., increased EEG delta power). However, no study to date has compared the long term effects of trazodone vs. CBT-I on spectral EEG activity during sleep in humans.
Methods
We addressed this question in a sample of 19 middle-aged men and women who received either trazodone (n=8) or CBT-I (n=11) treatment for 9 months. We examined delta (0.39-3.91 Hz), theta (4.30-7.81 Hz), alpha (8.20-11.72 Hz), sigma (12.11-14.84 Hz), beta (15.23-35.16 Hz) and gamma (35.55-49.61 Hz) relative power during NREM sleep after 3-month and 9-month of treatment.
Results
Compared to CBT-I, trazodone significantly increased relative delta power (p=0.05) and decreased relative sigma (p=0.004) and beta (p=0.05) power during NREM sleep across 9-month treatment. Furthermore, compared to CBT-I, trazodone significantly increased relative delta power (3-month: Δ2.00 ± 3.27 vs. Δ-2.63 ± 5.88, p=0.006, Cohen’s d=0.93; 9-month: Δ2.63 ± 4.11 vs. Δ-1.10 ± 3.93, p=0.006, Cohen’s d=0.93), while decreased relative sigma power (3-month: Δ-1.55 ± 1.75 vs. Δ0.90 ± 1.82, p=0.009, Cohen’s d=1.37; 9-month: Δ-1.33 ± 1.95 vs. Δ1.05 ± 1.79, p=0.014, Cohen’s d=1.28) during NREM sleep in 3-month and 9-month, respectively. Relative beta power (3-month: Δ-0.85 ± 0.60 vs. Δ0.35 ± 1.14, p=0.016, Cohen’s d=1.03;) was significantly decreased in 3-month treatment in trazodone group compared to CBT-I. Moreover, across 9-month treatment, relative sigma (p=0.040, ω p2 = 0.29) and beta (p=0.021, ω p2 = 0.12) power during NREM sleep were significantly decreased within trazodone group, while relative sigma power (p=0.096, ω p2 = 0.230) increased within CBT-I group.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that trazodone, but not CBT-I, even after 9-month of use increases slow wave sleep and decreases high-frequency EEG power during NREM sleep. This effect may explain the long-term usefulness of trazodone in chronic insomnia patients with physiologic hyperarousal i.e., activation of the stress system. Further studies should examine this effect in large samples of insomnia.
Support
NIH C06 RR016499, UL1 TR 000127
Long-Term Follow-Up of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Three Cases of Fear of Flying
