0123 Large Language Model-Derived Dream Affect is a Prospective Predictor of PTSD Symptoms in Hospitalized Trauma Patients
Sleep May 1, 2026 Holland Doise, A. Gonzalez Quesada, Garrett Baber et al.
Nightmares are linked to more severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study tested whether the emotional content of dreams, measured by self-report, human coding, and a large language model (LLM), could predict PTSD symptoms after a traumatic injury. 87 patients from a trauma center provided dream reports and completed surveys during hospitalization and at one and two months afterward. Dream narratives were scored by trained raters and by an LLM for negative affect and arousal. LLM-derived negative affect and arousal from dreams reported during hospitalization predicted higher PTSD symptoms one month later, even after adjusting for other risk factors. Self-reported dream affect did not predict later symptoms.