Multimodal behavioral treatment of nonrepetitive, treatment-resistant nightmares: a case report.
Barry A Tanner
Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 2004 DOI: 10.2466/pms.99.3f.1139-1146 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 23-year-old woman with a 17-year history of nightmares |
| Interventions | relaxation procedures mnemonic to increase lucid dreaming dream rehearsal |
| Duration | Four sessions, with follow-up over nine months |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | A combination of relaxation procedures, a mnemonic to increase lucid dreaming, and dream rehearsal resulted in a sharp decrease in nightmare frequency within four sessions, with further improvement over nine months and maintained gains at follow-up. |
Abstract
A 23-yr.-old young woman presenting with a 17-yr. history of nightmares was treated with a variety of behavioral and self-regulatory techniques. The nightmares were unusual in that they did not have an obviously common theme as in most published reports, and, therefore, did not readily lend themselves to several frequently used techniques. Although previous treatment episodes had not affected the incidence of the nightmares, a combination of relaxation procedures, a mnemonic to increase lucid dreaming, and dream rehearsal upon waking from a nightmare resulted in a sharp decrease in the frequency of nightmares in four sessions. Further improvement was reported over the next nine months as additional techniques were introduced and other problems treated, and was maintained during a 9-mo. follow-up.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study The author | 1980 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares People with recurrent nightmares | 2010 | Case study | n = 5 |
| Treating Chronic Nightmares of Sexual Assault Survivors with an Intellectual Disability – Two Descriptive Case Studies Adults with learning disabilities suffering from post-traumatic nightmares | 2006 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Lucid dreaming: Correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during rem sleep A lucid dreamer | 1984 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Lucid dreaming treatment for nightmares: A series of cases. Participants with nightmares | 2003 | Case series | n = 8 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 14, 2019
- My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? Frontiers in Psychology 2019
- Neurobiology and clinical implications of lucid dreaming Medical Hypotheses July 6, 2013
- The effectiveness of lucid dreaming therapy in patients with nightmares: A systematic review. L'Encephale October 1, 2023
- High-Level Control in Lucid Dreams Imagination, Cognition and Personality March 8, 2020
and 4 more in the library
Cites 13
- Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study Perceptual and Motor Skills December 1, 1980
- Lucid Dreaming as a Treatment for Recurrent Nightmares Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics February 18, 2010
- The Beneficial Effects of One Treatment Session and Recording of Nightmares on Chronic Nightmare Sufferers Sleep September 1, 1992
- Techniques for Inducing and Manipulating Lucid Dreams Perceptual and Motor Skills August 1, 1983
- Relief of Nightmares The British Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 1979
and 8 more in the library