Identifying biomarkers of deterioration and relapse in schizophrenia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Sleepsight Study: Identifying biomarkers of relapse in schizophrenia using mobile technologies.
IRAS ID
220182
Contact name
Nicholas Meyer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
People living with psychosis often experience fluctuations in their mental wellbeing. More severe and longer-lasting deterioration, called relapse, is distressing and disabling, and often results in hospital admission. Identifying changes that may be early signs of impending relapse is an important goal, as it provides the opportunity to intervene at an earlier stage to prevent relapse.
Patients often find that daily rhythms such as sleep and activity levels become disturbed during relapse. It may be possible to capture these changes using everyday technology including smartphones and activity trackers, that monitor these rhythms continuously, with minimal burden to the user. Information is sent securely to the research team, using the mobile network.
In our pilot study, we developed an tested such a system in people with psychosis. We learnt that they were not only very enthusiastic about the idea, but were willing and able to engage with the technology.
In this study, 45 adults with adults living with psychosis will be asked to use the system for up to 12 months. They will be provided with a smartphone containing specially designed software, an activity tracker worn on the wrist - which they will be asked to wear day and night - and a mobile phone contract. They will also be asked to complete a short daily questionnaire about their sleep, thoughts and feelings.
I will explore the extent to which changes in sleep patterns are related to deterioration in symptoms, and how soon before deterioration these can be detected. This will help us to understand when and in whom preventative interventions should be applied, and also what kind of intervention would be most useful.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0616
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion