Nutrient Intervention Pilot Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Impact of tryptophan-rich drinks on sleep and well-being of residents with Dementia living in a care home.
IRAS ID
231894
Contact name
Derek Renshaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Coventry University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 29 days
Research summary
There are now over 850,000 people living with dementia across the United Kingdom and one third of people with dementia live in care homes. Sleep disturbance and night-time wakefulness in people with dementia is a common and problematic symptom, often accompanied by confusion, wandering and agitation at night-time.
The current application focusses on the implementation and evaluation of a nutritional based intervention involving the use of natural tryptophan-rich whey protein, which will be used to supplement existing drinks. There is evidence that foods rich in tryptophan can increase the levels of the sleep hormone melatonin in human studies (Fukushige et al, 2014). The increased levels of melatonin are thought to be caused by the two stage conversion of the naturally occurring amino acid tryptophan, derived from the diet, to the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Previous studies on young healthy participants have demonstrated that a diet high in tryptophan leads to an increase in the levels of circulating melatonin (Fukushige et al, 2014). Similar studies on elderly non-dementia populations administering a tryptophan-rich breakfast demonstrated improved sleep quality and quantity which correlated with salivary melatonin levels (Wada et al, 2013).
Consenting residents will be supplemented with 10 g of whey protein per day in milk based drink to achieve the desired levels (500 mg) of tryptophan and administered before 12 midday. The WCS-Care electronic care record (ECR) data will be used to record and monitor 24 hour food and fluid intake. The Emfit QS sleep monitor will be used to determine sleep levels in study participants before the intervention, at week 4 and week 8. Differences between the time points will be determined and correlated with other qualitative factors such as QOL scores. The intervention will be introduced at Drovers House, Rugby, Warwickshire, a purpose built dementia home in the summer of 2017.REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0364
Date of REC Opinion
13 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion