TY - JOUR
T1 - A retrospective study on improvements in nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder following treatment for co-morbid sleep-disordered breathing
AU - Krakow, Barry
AU - Lowry, Carmen
AU - Germain, Anne
AU - Gaddy, Lane
AU - Hollifield, Michael
AU - Koss, Mary
AU - Tandberg, Dan
AU - Johnston, Lisa
AU - Melendrez, Dominic
N1 - Funding Information:
Research supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH 53239) and the Research Allocation Committee of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Objective: To assess the impact of treatment for co-morbid sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on patients with nightmares and post-traumatic stress. Methods: Twenty-three chronic nightmare sufferers (15 with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) who also suffered co-morbid SDB (obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, n = 16; upper airway resistance syndrome, UARS, n = 7) completed a telephone interview, on average, 21 months after having been offered treatment for SDB at a university sleep disorders clinic. Results: At follow-up, 14 reported maintaining treatment (Treatment Group) and 9 reported discontinuing treatment (No-Treatment Group). More patients in the Treatment Group reported improvement in sleep (93% vs. 33%) and in daytime well being (93% vs. 33%) compared with those in the No-Treatment group. The Treatment Group reported a median improvement in nightmares of 85% compared with a median 10% worsening in the No-Treatment Group. In the PTSD subset (n = 15), nine in the Treatment Group reported a median 75% improvement in PTSD symptoms whereas six in the No-Treatment Group reported a median 43% worsening. Conclusion: In this small sample of patients, treatment of SDB was associated with improvements in nightmares and PTSD. Relationships between nightmares, PTSD and SDB are discussed.
AB - Objective: To assess the impact of treatment for co-morbid sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on patients with nightmares and post-traumatic stress. Methods: Twenty-three chronic nightmare sufferers (15 with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) who also suffered co-morbid SDB (obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, n = 16; upper airway resistance syndrome, UARS, n = 7) completed a telephone interview, on average, 21 months after having been offered treatment for SDB at a university sleep disorders clinic. Results: At follow-up, 14 reported maintaining treatment (Treatment Group) and 9 reported discontinuing treatment (No-Treatment Group). More patients in the Treatment Group reported improvement in sleep (93% vs. 33%) and in daytime well being (93% vs. 33%) compared with those in the No-Treatment group. The Treatment Group reported a median improvement in nightmares of 85% compared with a median 10% worsening in the No-Treatment Group. In the PTSD subset (n = 15), nine in the Treatment Group reported a median 75% improvement in PTSD symptoms whereas six in the No-Treatment Group reported a median 43% worsening. Conclusion: In this small sample of patients, treatment of SDB was associated with improvements in nightmares and PTSD. Relationships between nightmares, PTSD and SDB are discussed.
KW - Nightmares
KW - Obstructive sleep apnea
KW - PTSD
KW - Upper airway resistance syndrome
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U2 - 10.1016/S0022-3999(00)00147-1
DO - 10.1016/S0022-3999(00)00147-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 11164053
AN - SCOPUS:0034494017
SN - 0022-3999
VL - 49
SP - 291
EP - 298
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
IS - 5
ER -