Sleep after catastrophic injury

Overview

Project ID: S3 3

It is well established that sleep has both a protective and recuperative effect in healthy adults. The benefits of sleeping well for those recovering from life-threatening or life-changing injury are much less well established, in part because the evidence based is very limited. NTU-Psychology has recently established a commercial sleep assessment and rehabilitation service to support recovery for victims of major injury (https://www.ntu.ac.uk/business-and-employers/access-ntu-expertise/sleep-well-science). The aims of this linked doctorate will be (a) to consolidate existing evidence and (b) to contribute new empirical evidence which quantifies the benefit of improving sleep among those recovering from different types of catastrophic injury. We envisage the first aim will be met through systematic review of existing evidence, using meta- and related analyses. Meeting the second aim is likely to involve both longitudinal studies of sleep and change in functional abilities victims of particular types of major injury (e.g. spinal and/or traumatic brain injury), as well as vignettes of the life changes of those who have had formal sleep assessments and have followed remediation plans provided by our service. The proposed PhD will thus combine a range of methodologies in order to assess the benefits of sleep assessment and sleep remediation, as well as developing the sleep assessment and sleep research skills of the successful applicant.

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to:

• Work with leading experts in sleep and post injury rehabilitation.
• Receive training in both physiological (i.e. wet lab) and biopsychological (i.e. actigraphy, EEG) methodologies for measuring the integrity of sleep/wake functioning.
• Develop experience in sleep assessment.- accumulate experience of dealing with victims of major injury, their family/carers, and the wide range of other professions engaged in their care.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Kay Bridger

Professor John Groeger

Dr Fran Pilkington-Cheney