Improving sleep for Veterans with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and chronic pain
Official title: A sleep intervention to improve quality of life and symptom management in Veterans with the polytrauma clinical triad
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11226574 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A simple at-home sleep program aims to help Veterans who have traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and chronic pain sleep better and feel less burdened by symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX004822-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11226574 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans who have coexisting traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and chronic pain and who are experiencing ongoing sleep problems and can participate in an at-home program.
✕Less likely to help
People without sleep problems, those who do not have the triad of TBI/PTSD/chronic pain, or those with untreated medical or psychiatric conditions that require other immediate care may not see benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would be invited to try a straightforward, at-home, non-pharmacologic sleep program designed for Veterans who have the combination of TBI, PTSD, and chronic pain (the polytrauma clinical triad). The project builds on preliminary work showing sleep improvement may reduce related problems like memory and concentration issues, pain intensity, and PTSD symptoms. Researchers will track sleep, cognitive function, pain, PTSD symptom levels, and overall quality of life before and after the program. The goal is to break the cycle where poor sleep makes other symptoms worse and those symptoms in turn keep you from sleeping well.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could improve sleep and ease pain, PTSD, and cognitive complaints, leading to better daily functioning and quality of life for participating Veterans.
How similar studies have gone: Behavioral sleep treatments have helped sleep and related symptoms in other groups, and preliminary data from the investigators indicate promise for this simple at-home approach in Veterans with the polytrauma clinical triad.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Elliott, Jonathan E — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Elliott, Jonathan E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.