Nicole Koch

2 papers in the library · 6 citations · publishing 2024

Papers

Imagery rehearsal therapy for the treatment of nightmares in individuals with borderline personality disorder – A pilot study

Journal of Psychiatric Research December 28, 2024 Clara Sayk, Nicole Koch, Janine Stierand et al. 6 citations

Up to 45% of people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience insomnia and nightmares, which worsen emotion regulation, sleep quality, and arousal. Imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT), the standard treatment for nightmares, had not been tested in BPD. In a pilot study, 22 individuals with BPD received eight sessions of group IRT added to inpatient treatment, and were compared with 22 matched controls. Nightmare symptoms improved significantly during the intervention. The IRT group also showed greater reductions in intrusions, hyperarousal, and anxiety than the control group. IRT appears feasible and may reduce nightmare, trauma, and anxiety symptoms in BPD, though larger randomized trials are needed.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.044 Borderline personality disorder Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Psychiatry +1

Cortical hyperarousal in individuals with frequent nightmares.

Journal of Sleep Research April 1, 2024 Clara Sayk, Sophia Saftien, Nicole Koch et al.

People with frequent nightmares show elevated high-frequency brain activity (beta and low gamma power) throughout the night compared to healthy controls, suggesting that cortical hyperarousal is a stable trait rather than a state limited to nightmare episodes. This heightened activity was reduced after six sessions of imagery rehearsal therapy, a cognitive-behavioral treatment. The findings indicate that the neural signature of hyperarousal in nightmare sufferers is both a persistent characteristic and modifiable by therapy, pointing toward potential treatments targeting high-frequency brain activity.

DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14003 Full text Arousal Electroencephalography Imagery rehearsal therapy Nightmares