Optimize Astronaut Sleep Medication Efficacy and Individual Effects

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-07-15
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

In the study titled Operational Ground Testing Protocol to Optimize Astronaut Sleep Medication Efficacy and Individual Effects (Phase 11), two randomized , blinded , placebo-controlled , cross-over trials will be conducted. The hypnotic medication and the placebo will be indistinguishable by subjects. Experiment 1 will involve N=14 subjects randomized to placebo , 10 mg Zolpidem (Ambien) and 10 mg Zaleplon (Sonata) in counterbalanced order and will be awakened 90 min. post-placebo administration (half at 60 min and half at 90 min). The latter will be done to maintain some degree of blinding relative to the participants knowledge of conditions and the staff working on the protocol. Zolpidem is the most commonly , and Zaleplon is the second most commonly , used sleep aid medication used in spaceflight. Females and those subjects who have had a previous adverse experience with 10 mg zolpidem will be placed into Experiment 2, which will involve N=20 subjects randomized to placebo , 5 mg zolpidem and 10 mg zaleplon. Data acquisition for both experiments will occur in the Astronaut Quarantine Facility ("AQF") at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Experimental methods and cognitive outcomes will be the same as those used in the pilot investigation titled Develop and Implement Operational Ground Testing Protocols to Individualize Astronaut Sleep Medication Efficacy and Individual Effects (Phase I). Combined , Experiment 1 and 2 will provide data on zaleplon 10 mg compared to placebo on a total of 34 subjects consisting of astronauts and other subjects considered analogous to the astronaut population (e.g., Flight Controllers, Flight Directors , Flight Surgeons, medical residents and medical students on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rotation, and NASA/contractor employed University of Texas Medical Branch physician's) , which will provide the larger sample needed to identify those subjects who have cognitive performance deficits on abrupt awakening to the less sedating 10 mg zaleplon.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Treatments: Zaleplon; Zolpidem

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

The participant must be an active astronaut or analogous to the astronaut population (e.g., Flight Controllers, Flight Directors, Flight Surgeons, medical residents and medical students on NASA rotation, and NASA /contractor employed University of Texas Medical Branch physician's) to participate in the study. Not Applicable (NA)

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnancy