Trial Outcomes & Findings for Suvorexant and Sleep/Delirium in ICU Patients (NCT NCT04092894)

NCT ID: NCT04092894

Last Updated: 2025-10-27

Results Overview

Nighttime wakefulness after persistent sleep onset (WASO) will be measured using a SedLine® Brain Function Monitor. WASO will be defined as the duration of wakefulness after the onset of persistent sleep in the observation period between 11:00pm (Lights-Off) to 6:00am (Lights-On) in minutes. Onset of persistent sleep will be defined as the first epoch of 10 consecutive minutes of sleep (REM or non-REM Stages 1, 2, 3 or 4) after Lights-Off. Wakefulness will be defined as any epoch of Stage 0. Sleep staging will be performed according to Rechtschaffen \& Kales criteria and in accordance with AASM guidelines. The SedLine® monitor uses a symmetrical bilateral array of sensors that provides four-channel data.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

PHASE4

Target enrollment

100 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

First night after extubation between 11:00pm and 6:00am

Results posted on

2025-10-27

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Suvorexant
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Overall Study
STARTED
49
51
Overall Study
Received study drug
47
47
Overall Study
COMPLETED
37
41
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
12
10

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
Suvorexant
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Overall Study
Withdrawal by Subject
2
4
Overall Study
Discontinued EEG after randomization
10
6

Baseline Characteristics

Suvorexant and Sleep/Delirium in ICU Patients

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Suvorexant
n=49 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=51 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Total
n=100 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
68 years
n=5 Participants
70 years
n=7 Participants
69 years
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
12 Participants
n=5 Participants
12 Participants
n=7 Participants
24 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
37 Participants
n=5 Participants
39 Participants
n=7 Participants
76 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
4 Participants
n=7 Participants
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
5 Participants
n=7 Participants
12 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
29 Participants
n=5 Participants
25 Participants
n=7 Participants
54 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
12 Participants
n=5 Participants
17 Participants
n=7 Participants
29 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
10 Participants
n=5 Participants
8 Participants
n=7 Participants
18 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
33 Participants
n=5 Participants
34 Participants
n=7 Participants
67 Participants
n=5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
9 Participants
n=7 Participants
15 Participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: First night after extubation between 11:00pm and 6:00am

Nighttime wakefulness after persistent sleep onset (WASO) will be measured using a SedLine® Brain Function Monitor. WASO will be defined as the duration of wakefulness after the onset of persistent sleep in the observation period between 11:00pm (Lights-Off) to 6:00am (Lights-On) in minutes. Onset of persistent sleep will be defined as the first epoch of 10 consecutive minutes of sleep (REM or non-REM Stages 1, 2, 3 or 4) after Lights-Off. Wakefulness will be defined as any epoch of Stage 0. Sleep staging will be performed according to Rechtschaffen \& Kales criteria and in accordance with AASM guidelines. The SedLine® monitor uses a symmetrical bilateral array of sensors that provides four-channel data.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=37 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=41 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Nighttime Wakefulness After Persistent Sleep Onset (WASO)
200.7 minutes
Interval 112.1 to 328.4
184.2 minutes
Interval 80.4 to 304.2

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: First night after extubation between 11:00pm and 6:00am

Total sleep time will be measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) using a Next Generation SedLine® Brain Function Monitor during the night of the sleep trial in analogy to the primary outcome.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=37 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=41 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Total Sleep Time (TST)
224 minuts
Interval 112.0 to 379.0
253 minuts
Interval 68.0 to 420.0

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: First night after extubation between 11:00pm and 6:00am

Sleep onset latency will be measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) using a Next Generation SedLine® Brain Function Monitor during the night of the sleep trial in analogy to the primary outcome.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=37 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=41 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Time to Sleep Onset (TSO)
30.5 miniutes
Interval 16.6 to 64.1
16.6 miniutes
Interval 6.8 to 34.5

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Up to 24 hours after initiation of sleep trial

Continuous EEG-monitoring throughout the day following the sleep trial will be performed until no more than 24 hours after initiation of the sleep trial, or until the patient is discharged from the ICU, whichever occurs first. Duration of sleep during the day will be assessed.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=37 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=41 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Duration of Sleep During the Day
553 minutes
Interval 507.0 to 684.0
565.5 minutes
Interval 463.0 to 657.0

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Every morning from preoperative day 3 up to postoperative day 7

Subjective sleep quality will be assessed by applying the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). The RCSQ is a validated survey instrument for assessing sleep quality in critically ill patients based on a five-item, visual analogue scale (each from 0 \[worst value\] to 100 \[best value\]). The scale evaluates perceptions of depth of sleep, sleep onset latency, number of awakenings, time spent awake, and overall sleep quality.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=37 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=41 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Subjective Sleep Quality: Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ)
35.47 points
Interval 24.31 to 46.53
34.42 points
Interval 23.45 to 45.4

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Every day from postoperative day 1 up to day of hospital discharge, an expected average of 21 days

Incidence of postoperative delirium will be measured daily by the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and CAM-ICU. The CAM is a standardized screening tool used for identification of delirium symptoms through a diagnostic algorithm based on 4 cardinal features of delirium, namely acute onset and fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. The CAM-ICU, which is routinely performed in the ICU, includes both brief cognitive testing and the CAM algorithm to screen for delirium. For CAM-positive patients, the Delirium Symptom Interview, a standard cognitive assessment consisting of tests of attention, orientation, and memory will be performed by a research team members trained in the survey administration methodology and blinded to treatment assignment to verify the CAM screening results.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=49 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=51 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Postoperative Delirium
10 Participants
11 Participants

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Every day from postoperative day 1 up to day of hospital discharge, an expected average of 21 days

Incidence of postoperative delirium will be measured daily by the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and CAM-ICU. The CAM is a standardized screening tool used for identification of delirium symptoms through a diagnostic algorithm based on 4 cardinal features of delirium, namely acute onset and fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. The CAM-ICU, which is routinely performed in the ICU, includes both brief cognitive testing and the CAM algorithm to screen for delirium. For CAM-positive patients, the Delirium Symptom Interview, a standard cognitive assessment consisting of tests of attention, orientation, and memory will be performed by a research team members trained in the survey administration methodology and blinded to treatment assignment to verify the CAM screening results.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Suvorexant
n=49 Participants
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=51 Participants
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Delirium-free Days
7 days
Interval 6.0 to 10.0
7 days
Interval 6.0 to 11.0

Adverse Events

Suvorexant

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 4 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Placebo

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 1 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Other adverse events
Measure
Suvorexant
n=49 participants at risk
Suvorexant 20 mg will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Placebo
n=51 participants at risk
Placebo will be administered p.o. once a day between 9:00pm and 10:00pm for 7 days starting the night after extubation in the ICU.
Nervous system disorders
Somnolence
2.0%
1/49 • from enrollment until discharge
2.0%
1/51 • from enrollment until discharge
General disorders
Fatigue
2.0%
1/49 • from enrollment until discharge
0.00%
0/51 • from enrollment until discharge
Nervous system disorders
Abnormal thought/hallucination
4.1%
2/49 • from enrollment until discharge
0.00%
0/51 • from enrollment until discharge

Additional Information

Balachundhar Subramaniam

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Phone: 7814750572

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place