Advisory Committee Chair
Robert Sorge
Advisory Committee Members
Burel Goodin
Michael Owens
Stephen Thomas
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Master of Science (MS) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Prior research has established a bidirectional relationship between sleep and pain, yet this relationship has been understudied in people living with HIV. The current study investigated the relationship between HIV status (H+/H-) and insomnia status (I+/I-) on sleep and quantitative sensory testing (QST) variables. The study was comprised of two research visits where participants were screened and completed the QST protocol. Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS), and actigraphy as subjective and objective measures of sleep. There were four groups: H-/I- (n=46), H-/I+ (n=37), H+/I- (n=14), and H+/I+ (n=39) (N=136). Results showed that the H+/I+ group had the highest ratings of insomnia severity and dysfunctional thoughts about sleep, and the lowest scores on a measure of sleep health. Additionally, the H+/I+ group had the highest sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, and lowest sleep efficiency scores. H+/I+ groups demonstrated greater pain facilitation to cold, pressure (trapezius), and the least inhibition of pain via conditioned pain modulation (forearm and trapezius). Results showed significant differences across sleep variables between groups, but no significant differences across QST variables. Future studies should examine the role of chronic pain in H+ individuals and whether behavioral interventions for insomnia may also improve pain severity in this population.
Recommended Citation
Webb, Caroline Kathryn, "An Examination Of Sleep Quality And Experimental Pain Sensitivity In People With Hiv And Insomnia" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6899.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6899
Comments
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