Sleep assessment in patients with Cluster headache – self reported vs observed data

Objective: Cluster Headache (CH) is a primary headache disorder often characterized by a circadian timing of headache attacks. The hypothalamus is reported to be activated during attacks, and several genes involved in the regulation of the molecular clock have been linked to CH. To investigate this further, we analyzed sleep patterns in CH patients compared to controls and in relation to active period and remission.
Methods: 92 individuals were recruited for sleep assessment, 42 controls and 50 patients. Sleep was recorded during a two-week period using MotionWatch 8 actigraphs (CamNTech) containing an accelerometer recording physical movement. Study participants were instructed to wear the unit during rest and sleep and to fill out a short version of the Karolinska Sleep Diary in order to compare recorded sleep data with perceived sleep.
Results: 77 individuals have completed the study, two individuals discontinued the study because of technical difficulties, and six because of personal reasons or health problems. Preliminary results from the sleep diary suggests that CH patients take significantly longer time to fall asleep compared to controls, 30 min. vs 15 min., and CH patients remain in bed for a longer time in the morning compared to controls, 40 min. vs 20 min.
Conclusion: Our preliminary data suggest that sleep is affected in CH patients, manifesting in prolonged sleep latency and increased time in bed. These data will be verified using actigraphy.