OBJECTIVES: Research supports cognitive behavioral therapies for nightmares (CBT-N) in adults. However, the nuances of implementation and unstandardized nomenclature for treatment components has created confusion in the field. To provide clarification, an expert consensus panel convened to review treatment manual components and to develop guidelines for the standardized implementation and...
A previous study in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurrent nightmares found a high prevalence of lucid dreaming (LD), the awareness while a dream continues that one is dreaming, and an "LD profile" characterized by frequent dream awareness and rare dream content control. Given the importance of the nightmare disturbance in PTSD, this study assessed with...
Study objectives: To examine the efficacy of imagery rehearsal (IR) combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) compared to CBT-I alone for treating recurrent nightmares in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 108 male and female United States veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with current,...
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cognitive deficits in attention, executive control, and memory, although few studies have investigated the relevance of cognitive difficulties for treatment outcomes. We examined whether cognitive functioning and history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) were associated with response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD-related...
In this article, the authors provide information on key characteristics of imagery rehearsal treatment protocols and examine the quality of reporting of randomized controlled and uncontrolled trials of imagery rehearsal for treating posttraumatic nightmares. Using a reliable and valid scale, two independent psychologists rated 16 trials. Most reports provided insufficient information on a range...
The characteristics of nightmares of 48 male U.S. Vietnam war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as revised dream scripts developed in the course of Imagery Rehearsal therapy, were examined in relation to pretreatment symptomatology and treatment outcome. Features, content, and themes of nightmares and rescripted dreams were coded by 2 independent raters....
We conducted an uncontrolled pilot study to determine whether transcendental meditation (TM) might be helpful in treating veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Five veterans were trained in the technique and followed for 12 weeks. All subjects improved on the primary outcome measure, the Clinician...
AbstractOne hundred twenty‐four male Vietnam War veterans with chronic, severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were randomly assigned to imagery rehearsal (n = 61) or a credible active comparison condition (n = 63) for the treatment of combat‐related nightmares. There was pre‐post change in overall sleep quality and PTSD symptoms for both groups, but not in nightmare frequency....