Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. What We Know and What We Need to Know: Findings from a National Working Group

Emerson M Wickwire, Scott G Williams, Thomas Roth, Vincent F Capaldi, Michael Jaffe, Margaret Moline, Gholam K Motamedi, Gregory W Morgan, Vincent Mysliwiec, Anne Germain, Renee M Pazdan, Reuven Ferziger, Thomas J Balkin, Margaret E MacDonald, Thomas A Macek, Michael R Yochelson, Steven M Scharf, Christopher J Lettieri

Disturbed sleep is one of the most common complaints following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and worsens morbidity and long-term sequelae. Further, sleep and TBI share neurophysiologic underpinnings with direct relevance to recovery from TBI. As such, disturbed sleep and clinical sleep disorders represent modifiable treatment targets to improve outcomes in TBI. This paper presents key findings from a national working group on sleep and TBI, with a specific focus on the testing and development of sleep-related therapeutic interventions for mild TBI (mTBI). First, mTBI and sleep physiology are briefly reviewed. Next, essential empirical and clinical questions and knowledge gaps are addressed. Finally, actionable recommendations are offered to guide active and efficient collaboration between academic, industry, and governmental stakeholders.