The influence of psychological distress associated with sleepiness on the course of treatment of Central Disorders Hypersomnolence

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14438
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Hazumi Megumi 国立研究開発法人国立精神・神経医療研究センター, 精神保健研究所 公共精神健康医療研究部, 研究員 (00799174)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ナルコレプシー / 特発性過眠症 / 睡眠医療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This survey was conducted to reveal the psychosocial problems induced by sleepiness in patients with Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence such as narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. I identified characteristic thinking patterns, developed the scale to assess these patterns, and confirmed the associations between those patterns and psychosocial functions such as depression, anxiety, and quality of life (Hazumi et al., 2020; Sleep Medicine; Hazumi et al., 2021; Japanese Society of Sleep Research).Additionally, the development and confirming content validity of the Japanese version of Idiopathic Hypersomnia Severity Scale was performed . Furthermore, through a cross-sectional survey for caregivers of infants, we revealed that the way caregivers interact with infants during sleep, such as immediately comforting them during nocturnal awakenings, is associated with the poor sleep quality of infants. (Hazumi et al., 2020; Nursing Open).

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ナルコレプシーや特発性過眠症を抱える患者における、特徴的な思考パターンが存在すること、およびそれらが心理社会的問題に寄与することはこれまで明らかにされておらず、新規性のある発見といえる。これが明らかになったことで、当該患者の社会適応を促進するうえで、症状の軽減のみならず、症状に伴って形成された心理的問題の対処が必要な可能性が示唆された。今後、ナルコレプシーや特発性過眠症患者への包括的支援を発展させていくための一助となりうる。