Official Title

The Effects of Milnacipran on Sleep Disturbance in Fibromyalgia
  • Phase

    Phase 4
  • Study Type

    Interventional
  • Intervention/Treatment

    milnacipran ...
  • Study Participants

    19
Fibromyalgia is a condition of chronic widespread pain, sleep disturbance and fatigue. Most of the patients with fibromyalgia complain of either non-restorative sleep or complaints of disturbed sleep due to pain. The study aimed at examining the effects of milnacipran on sleep disturbance in patients with fibromyalgia. The study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, two way crossover polysomnography (PSG) study to explore the effects of milnacipran on sleep disturbance. Patients received either milnacipran 50 mg twice a day (BID) or matching placebo.
The sleep disturbance in fibromyalgia is characterized as non-restorative in nature, and is defined as a feeling of light sleep, independent of duration, and as non-refreshing. As such, these patients wake up in the morning and complain of stiffness and overall aching of the body.

It is well known that reciprocal relationship exists between sleep and pain, with sleep disturbances being an important contributor to morbidity in fibromyalgia. Milnacipran, a selective serotonin norepinephrine receptor inhibitor (SNRI), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of fibromyalgia. Although milnacipran has extensively been studied in fibromyalgia patients, but there is no objective measure, i.e., the use of overnight polysomnography, to determine its effects on sleep.

The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of milnacipran on PSG determined measures of sleep in patients with fibromyalgia. The study also evaluated the impact of milnacipran on subjective measures of sleep and fibromyalgia symptoms.
Study Started
Nov 30
2010
Primary Completion
Feb 28
2014
Study Completion
Feb 28
2014
Results Posted
Jul 22
2015
Estimate
Last Update
Aug 21
2019

Drug Milnacipran

50 mg twice daily

  • Other names: Savella

Drug Placebo

50 mg twice daily

  • Other names: Sugar pill

milnacipran Experimental

Drug: milnacipran 7-day dose escalation, 28- day treatment with milnacipran 50 mg and 7-day taper period before or after crossover to placebo

placebo Placebo Comparator

Drug: placebo 45-day placebo treatment before or after crossover to milnacipran

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Men or women at least 18 years or older
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia
Clinically significant sleep disturbance, defined as difficulty in maintaining sleep (wake after sleep onset and arousal index) at least three times per week for at least one month
Understand and willing to cooperate with the study procedures
Maintain a normal sleep schedule, with daytime-awake and nighttime-sleep schedule, with customary bedtime between 9 PM and midnight, and rise time 5 AM and 9 AM
Patients who are able to speak, read, and understand English language and able to follow the study protocol, and are able to sign the informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Subject has any of the following medical conditions:

Liver disease, blood disorder, autoimmune disease, endocrine, cardiovascular, hypertension, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, or neurological disorder, active peptic ulcer or inflammatory bowel disease

Significant sleep apnea
Periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD) or restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Any form of severe psychiatric illness, moderate to severe depression, including significant risk of suicide
Patients with uncontrolled glaucoma
Inability to discontinue the prohibited medications
Female of childbearing potential not using birth control measures; or lactating.
History of alcohol, narcotic, benzodiazepines or other substance abuse within the past one year.

Patient on prohibited medication will include but not limited to:

Anxiolytics, anti-convulsants, antipsychotics, lithium, barbiturates, anti-histamines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or medications that affect sleep
Any prescription or over the counter stimulants
Medications that are contraindicated with the use of milnacipran
Excessive caffeine use, defined as a consumption of more than 500 mg of caffeine or other xanthines, smoking >1/2 a pack/day or alcohol use >14 units/week
History of allergy to milnacipran.

Summary

Milnacipran

Placebo

All Events

Event Type Organ System Event Term Milnacipran Placebo

Number of Awakenings After Sleep Onset (NAASO)

Number of awakenings after defined sleep onset until lights on.

Milnacipran

39.5
Awakenings (Mean)
Standard Error: 4.5

Placebo

34.9
Awakenings (Mean)
Standard Error: 4.2

Sleep Efficiency (SE)

Percentage of time spent asleep while in bed

Milnacipran

77.1
percentage of total sleep time (Mean)
Standard Error: 3.8

Placebo

83.3
percentage of total sleep time (Mean)
Standard Error: 2.3

Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO)

Wake time after defined sleep onset until lights on.

Milnacipran

76.2
minutes (Mean)
Standard Error: 10.8

Placebo

53.6
minutes (Mean)
Standard Error: 8.1

Arousal Index (AI)

Number of arousals per hour of sleep

Milnacipran

30.2
arousals per hour (Mean)
Standard Error: 2.2

Placebo

31.2
arousals per hour (Mean)
Standard Error: 4.0

Slow Wave Sleep (SWS)

Time spent in stage 3 of non-rapid eye movement sleep and often referred to as deep sleep.

Milnacipran

8.4
percentage of total sleep time (Mean)
Standard Error: 2.7

Placebo

9.4
percentage of total sleep time (Mean)
Standard Error: 2.6

Sleep Problem Index 2, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS)

This is a subjective index derived from the medical outcomes study sleep scale (MOS-SS) scored on a 0-100 possible range with higher scores indicating more severe sleep disruption. The scale is a self-report instrument consisting of 12 items that assess perceived initiation and maintenance of sleep, respiratory problems during sleep, sleep duration, perceived adequacy of sleep and daytime somnolence.

Milnacipran

37.8
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 4.4

Placebo

34.9
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 3.8

Sleep Quality Scale

Sleep quality measure derived from daily sleep diary rating ranging from 0 ("very poor") to 10 ("excellent")

Milnacipran

5.2
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 0.52

Placebo

4.9
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 0.4

Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) Total Score

The scale is a 9-item self-report of fatigue in the past week and scored on a 7-point scale with 1 = strongly disagree and 7 = strongly agree. Scores range from 9 to 63 with higher scores indicating higher fatigue severity. A total score greater or equal to 36 suggests fatigue.

Milnacipran

41.0
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 3.4

Placebo

42.3
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 3.1

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Mean Severity Score

The score is derived from the BPI scale and measures pain intensity in the past 24 hour. The pain severity score is derived as the average score of 4 pain items assessing pain at its "worst", "least", "average" and "now" and ranges from 0-10 with higher scores reflecting greater pain

Milnacipran

4.1
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 0.6

Placebo

4.7
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 0.4

Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) Total Score

The scale is composed of 10 items relating to fibromyalgia symptoms experienced in the past week. Score ranges from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating a greater effect of fibromyalgia on a person's life.

Milnacipran

40.0
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 6.8

Placebo

45.3
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 4.0

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Mean Interference Score

The score is derived from the BPI scale and measures the effect of pain on functioning in the past 24 hour. It is the average score of 7 items interfering with general activity, mood, walking ability, normal work, relations with other people, sleep and enjoyment of life. Score ranges from 0-10 with higher scores reflecting greater interference.

Milnacipran

3.8
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 0.6

Placebo

4.3
score on a scale (Mean)
Standard Error: 0.5

Latency to Persistent Sleep Onset (LPS)

It is defined as time from lights out to the first consecutive 2 minutes of uninterrupted sleep.

Milnacipran

41.6
minutes (Mean)
Standard Error: 6.2

Placebo

38.6
minutes (Mean)
Standard Error: 5.8

Total Sleep Time (TST)

Total sleep of all Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non- Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NTREM) from lights out to lights on.

Milnacipran

361.7
minutes (Mean)
Standard Error: 19.6

Placebo

386.1
minutes (Mean)
Standard Error: 12.5

Age, Continuous

49.2
years (Mean)
Full Range: 28.0 to 72.0

Arousal index (AI)

24.8
arousals per hour (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 9.8

Number of awakenings after sleep onset (NAASO)

31.9
awakenings (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 12.9

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) latency

126.5
minutes (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 91.3

Sleep efficiency (SE)

72.3
percentage of total sleep time (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 15.8

Total stage shifts

147.4
Stage shifts (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 42.2

Baseline polysomnographic sleep parameters

Baseline polysomnographic sleep parameters

Baseline polysomnographic sleep parameters

Sex: Female, Male

Sleep architecture

Sleep architecture

Sleep architecture

Sleep architecture

First Intervention (6 Weeks)

Placebo Then Milnacipran

Milnacipran Then Placebo

Second Intervention (6 Weeks)

Placebo Then Milnacipran

Milnacipran Then Placebo

Drop/Withdrawal Reasons

Placebo Then Milnacipran

Milnacipran Then Placebo