

#Medication for insomnia trial
“We’re applying for funding from the National Institutes of Health and looking to hire a physician-scientist with clinical trial experience to lead these efforts.”

“There’s still much to discover about how orexin drives drug craving, but we know more than enough to justify testing orexin antagonists in clinical trials as addiction treatments,” said Gary Aston-Jones, coauthor of the review and director of the Brain Health Institute.

Another study has even demonstrated that one of the three orexin-blocking sleep aids approved for insomnia treatment reduces opioid cravings in human subjects. They report that many drugs of abuse increase orexin production in both animal and human brains and that blocking this system reverses addiction in animals. Rutgers researchers think they have identified a biological process for drug and alcohol addiction and believe existing insomnia treatments could be used to reduce or eliminate cravings.Ī review in the December 2022 issue of Biological Psychiatry and previously published online explains how ongoing work at the Rutgers Brain Health Institute and elsewhere demonstrates that the brain’s orexin system – which regulates sleep/wake states, reward systems and mood – motivates drug-seeking behavior. References - PAD Medications for Insomnia (PDF, 570KB)įor more information about the PAD service, visit the Provincial Academic Detailing page.Rutgers research shows how changes in the brain promote drug-seeking behavior and why some insomnia medications may block it.Handout - PAD Medications for Insomnia (PDF, 937KB).How: Contact your local PAD pharmacist directly or email Resources Where: In-person or virtual academic detailing (individualized web or teleconference) Describe the risks associated with prescribing higher than recommended doses of zopiclone.Apply prescribing principles including:.Share with patients that clinical practice guidelines make weak recommendations for and against specific medications, reflecting uncertainty regarding benefits versus harms.Drug information relevant to the prescribing, deprescribing and monitoring of medications for insomnia with a focus on the most commonly prescribed medicationsĪfter the virtual academic detailing session, participants will be able to:.

