Control Methods in Assessing the Efficacy of Scheduled Nap Therapy in Narcoleptic Patients

QUESTION

Tower studied the efficacy of scheduled nap therapy on the episodes of sleep attacks and symptom severity among 25 narcoleptic patients from a sleep disorder clinic in Los Angeles. The therapy consisted of three scheduled 10-minute naps daily at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Subjects maintained daily sleep diaries in which they recorded time and duration of sleep episodes for 2 weeks prior to treatment, during the two-week treatment period, and for 2 weeks following treatment. Research assistants who were unaware of the study purpose or the treatment coded information in the diary for number of sleep episodes daily and total amount of time spent sleeping daily. The severity of common narcoleptic symptoms (e.g., sleepiness, sleep paralysis) was also assessed through a questionnaire administered prior to and following treatment. Treatments occurred in a sleep laboratory, with all participants reporting at 9 a.m. and being given guidance on scheduled napping. Tower found that neither the frequency of sleep attacks nor the severity of narcoleptic symptoms improved over the course of the study. There were also no changes in amount of sleep or number of sleep episodes. She concluded that the study did not yield evidence supporting the effectiveness of the intervention but recommended further research using a different research design and a larger sample. What method of control did the researchers use to attempt to show scheduled nap therapy on episodes of sleep attacks and symptom severity?

ANSWER

Control Methods in Assessing the Efficacy of Scheduled Nap Therapy in Narcoleptic Patients

Introduction

In the study conducted by Tower, the primary objective was to investigate the potential efficacy of scheduled nap therapy on the episodes of sleep attacks and symptom severity among narcoleptic patients. To achieve this, the researcher employed several control methods to ensure the study’s validity and reliability. This essay will focus on discussing the specific control method used to assess the impact of scheduled nap therapy on sleep attacks and symptom severity.

Control Method: Pre-and-Post Treatment Questionnaire and Sleep Diaries

Tower employed a well-structured control method involving pre-and-post treatment questionnaires and sleep diaries. Here’s how this control method was implemented:

1. Baseline Assessment: Prior to the initiation of scheduled nap therapy, Tower administered a questionnaire to all participants. This questionnaire assessed the severity of common narcoleptic symptoms, such as sleepiness and sleep paralysis. This served as a baseline measurement to understand the participants’ symptom severity before any intervention.

2. Sleep Diaries: Participants were instructed to maintain daily sleep diaries for a total of 4 weeks – 2 weeks before the treatment, during the 2-week treatment period, and 2 weeks following treatment. In these diaries, participants recorded the time and duration of their sleep episodes. Research assistants, who were unaware of the study’s purpose and the treatment received, coded this information daily.

3. Post-Treatment Assessment: After the completion of the 2-week scheduled nap therapy, participants were once again assessed using the same questionnaire to determine if there were any changes in the severity of their narcoleptic symptoms.

Controlled Variables

1. Symptom Severity: By administering the same questionnaire both before and after treatment, Tower controlled for the variability in the severity of narcoleptic symptoms that may naturally occur over time. Any changes observed could be attributed to the treatment rather than external factors.

2. Sleep Patterns: The use of sleep diaries allowed for the monitoring of participants’ sleep patterns throughout the study. By comparing the number and duration of sleep episodes over different timeframes, the researchers could control for variations in sleep habits unrelated to the treatment.

3. Assessment Consistency: The research assistants coding the sleep diary information were unaware of the study’s objective and treatment allocation, ensuring unbiased assessment and control for potential researcher bias.

Conclusion

In the study on scheduled nap therapy’s effectiveness in narcoleptic patients by Tower, the control method employed was comprehensive and well-structured. By utilizing pre-and-post treatment questionnaires and sleep diaries, the researcher effectively controlled for changes in symptom severity and sleep patterns that could have occurred independently of the treatment. These control methods are essential in ensuring the validity and reliability of the study’s findings and contribute to the credibility of Tower’s conclusion that the intervention did not yield significant evidence of effectiveness. Additionally, Tower’s recommendation for further research using different designs and larger samples reflects a commitment to improving the rigor of future investigations in this area of study.