| Name of the Instrument/Tool | Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) |
| First Description |
Soldatos CR, Dikeos DG, Paparrigopoulos TJ. Athens Insomnia Scale: validation of an instrument based on ICD-10 criteria. J Psychosom Res. 2000 Jun;48(6):555-60 |
| Year | 2000 |
| Domains | |
| Concept of constructs | Sleep |
| Population/Disease | Generic |
| Originally developed for | Sjögren's syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) |
| Other rheumatic diseases where can be applied (only if validated) |
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) |
| Additional population with no rheumatic diseases |
Yes Patients with cancer, chronic pain , kidney transplant |
| Language: Originally published in | English |
| Available in Language | Japanese, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean |
| REFERENCE IDENTIFICATION | |
| Author/s | Soldatos CR, Dikeos DG, Paparrigopoulos TJ |
| Title | Athens Insomnia Scale: validation of an instrument based on ICD-10 criteria |
| Journal | J Psychosom Res |
| Year | 2000 |
| Vol | 48 |
| Num | 6 |
| Pages | 555-60 |
| Country | Greece |
| Language | English |
| Other references of interest | |
| Link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12932801/ |
| Brief Description |
The diagnostic validity of the Athens Insomnia Scale |
| Link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33256097/ |
| Brief Description |
Evaluation of Severity Levels of the Athens Insomnia Scale Based on the Criterion of Insomnia Severity Index |
| Link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33091275/ |
| Brief Description |
Measures of Sleep in Rheumatologic Diseases: Sleep Quality Patient‐Reported Outcomes in Rheumatologic Diseases |
| Instrument/Tool Translations References | |
| Link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21210225/ |
| Brief Description |
A Spanish version of the Athens Insomnia Scale |
| Link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23910517/ |
| Brief Description |
Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Athens Insomnia Scale |
| Link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21714210/ |
| Brief Description |
Validation of the Polish version of the Athens Insomnia Scale |
| DEVELOPER CONTACT INFORMATION | |
| Correspondence to | Constantin R. Soldatos |
| egslelabath@hol.gr | |
| Address | Sleep Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece |
| Website | --- |
| Available | --- |
| Links | --- |
| DESCRIPTION OF THE INSTRUMENT | |
| Type Of Measure | Questionnaire |
| Brief Description |
The AIS is a psychometric instrument designed for simultaneously establishing the diagnosis of insomnia and measure its severity. It consists of eight items: The first five questions pertain to sleep onset, awakenings during the night, early-morning awakening, total sleep time, and sleep quality (criterion A of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision [ICD-10] criteria for insomnia). The last three questions refer to well-being, functional capacity, and sleepiness during the day (criteria C and D of the ICD-10 requirements for insomnia) A brief five-item version (AIS-5) is also available and contains only the first five items that correspond to nocturnal sleep quality but not daytime symptoms. |
| Number of Items | The standard questionnaire is eight items |
| Range | 0-24 |
| Responses options/scale |
Yes Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with 0 corresponding to “no problem” or “normal,” and a score of 3 corresponding to “serious problem” or “did not sleep at all.” |
| Developed for | --- |
| PRACTICAL APPLICATION | |
| Method of administration | Self-administered |
| Recommendations to score |
The eight responses are summed to calculate a total score, which ranges from 0 to 24. |
| Score Interpretation | A higher score indicates greater insomnia symptoms |
| Cut-off points | A cutoff score of 6 or higher is recommended to identify individuals with a diagnosis of insomnia |
| Cut-off points applied to | --- |
| Smallest detectable change if described | --- |
| Smallest detectable change applied to | --- |
| Completion time by the patient | 2-3 minutes |
| Scoring time by the assessor | <1 minutes |
| Training to score | Not necessary |
| Strengths | Easy to use, Useful in clinical practice & research |
| Limitations | --- |
| OTHER COMMENTS | |
| Other Comments |
The AIS has high face and construct validity for screening for insomnia by ICD-10 criteria and has high feasibility for implementation both clinically and in research. The precise cutoff at which sensitivity and specificity are maximized may differ by population, and it is unknown how well the AIS performs against more recent insomnia diagnostic criteria in the ICSD-3 or DSM-5. Additional studies in specific rheumatic diseases determining best cutoffs are still needed to improve generalizability of the AIS. For measuring severity of insomnia, there are insufficient data, particularly in rheumatological diseases, to support use of the AIS, and the responsiveness to change and MID are unknown. |