Circadian Rhythm Disruption in the Hospital Intensive Care Environment

Running, not enrolling

Conditions studied: Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases

In brief

Abrupt changes to one's lifestyle disrupt biorhythms. Acute effects are well known from jet lag where transmeridian travel leads to insomnia, fatigue, irritability, gastrointestinal symptoms and other complaints. Several studies in the hospital environment reported dampened and misaligned biorhythms, suggesting that the inpatient experience is replete with circadian disruptors. However, comprehensive assessments of how circadian clocks are affected in intensive care and how this predicts post-operative recovery and risk are largely missing.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05828680

Run by

University of Pennsylvania

People needed

15

Starts

2023-03-15

Expected to finish

2028-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-01-23

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Adults scheduled for cardiac surgery;
• ≥18 years of age;
• Capable of giving informed consent;
• Own a smartphone (Apple devices only).

You may not qualify if…

• Taking sleep aids (antihistamines, melatonin, etc.)
• History of alcohol abuse (more than 2 drinks a day with last drink within the past 3 days)
• History of substance abuse at risk of postoperative withdrawal;
• Active diagnosis of alcohol or substance abuse;
• Recent travel across more than two (2) time zones (within the past month);
• Planned travel across more than two (2) time zones during the planned study activities;
• Subjects, who have received an experimental drug, used an experimental medical device within 30 days prior to screening, or who gave a blood donation of ≥ one pint within 8 weeks prior to screening;
• Subjects without access to WiFi in their or close to home or at work;
• Patients with hearing aids;
• Heart transplant patients;
• Patients in isolation.

Where it is running

• Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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