Stanford Study Recruiting Participants Who Have Insomnia and Depression

STANFORD, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
"You`ll feel better after a good night`s sleep." We`ve all heard those words,
but have we ever stopped to wonder about the mental health of people who just
aren`t able to sleep well? Rachel Manber has, and the Stanford University School
of Medicine researcher is trying to identify the best way to treat patients
suffering from both depression and insomnia.

Manber, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is
seeking volunteers for a first-of-its-kind study on the benefits of combining
the treatments of medication for depression and psychotherapy for sleep
difficulties.

Depression and insomnia, defined as having difficulty initiating and/or
maintaining sleep, are very much linked. "Insomnia is certainly a risk factor
for depression: studies show that having insomnia increases a person`s risk of
developing depression in one to three years," Manber said.

At the same time, Manber pointed out, depressed patients with sleep problems
don`t respond as well to standard depression treatments as other patients. This
is a problem because between 60 and 84 percent of patients with major depression
also sleep poorly. In addition, if a sleep disorder goes untreated, a patient is
at a greater risk for a future relapse of depression.

The multicenter study, which will involve 255 people, aims to determine whether
combining antidepressant medications and insomnia therapy will improve the lives
of people who experience both conditions simultaneously. Manber plans to enroll
85 patients at Stanford; participants must be between the ages of 18 and 75,
suffering from insomnia and depression, and not currently receiving treatment
for either disorder.

During the study, participants will receive free evaluations of their sleep,
including an at-home, all-night sleep study. Participants will also receive 16
weeks of one of three FDA-approved antidepressant medications (Lexapro, Zoloft
or Pristique) and will be randomized into receiving seven sessions of one of two
forms of sleep-focused psychotherapies for insomnia.

Interested men and women should contact Rachel Wells at (650) 723-2641 for a
free telephone screening.

The study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and led by the
Stanford site. Other centers participating in the study are Duke University and
the University of Pittsburgh.

The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation`s
top 10 medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care
and community service. For more news about the school, please visit
http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine,
which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children`s
Hospital. For information about all three, please visit
http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.

Stanford University School of Medicine
Michelle Brandt, 650-723-0272 (Print Media)
mbrandt@stanford.edu
M.A. Malone, 650-723-6912 (Broadcast Media)
mamalone@stanford.edu

Copyright Business Wire 2009