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Brief Psychoeducational and Cognitive Therapy for Nightmare Disorder (BPCT-ND)

Horacio Balam Álvarez-García, Ulises Jiménez Correa

Sleep Science January 24, 2024 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777707 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 1
Population 23-year-old female patient with nightmare disorder
Intervention Brief Behavioral Telemedicine Therapy
Duration 1-month follow-up
Topics Dreaming
Keywords Insomnia Epworth sleepiness scale Cognitive behavioral therapy Sleep disorder Clinical psychology Parasomnia Cognition Polysomnography Sleep quality Apnea
Key findings A brief behavioral telemedicine therapy decreased nightmares, sleepiness, and insomnia symptoms in a patient with nightmare disorder.

Abstract

In adults, nightmare disorder is related to sleep deprivation, drug consumption or abuse, or other comorbid sleep disorders such as insomnia or insufficient sleep syndrome. Behavioral treatment has solid scientific evidence in disorders such as insomnia and, more recently, parasomnias. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of a Brief Behavioral Telemedicine Therapy in Nightmare Disorder in a 23-year-old female patient. The procedure consisted of the case study, with pre and posttreatment measures as well as follow-up after 1 month; and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Paris Arousal Disorders Severity Scale, and a sleep diary were applied. In parallel with changes recorded in the sleep diary, a decrease in nightmares, sleepiness, and insomnia symptoms was observed when the intervention was finished. The behavioral intervention was clinically effective; therefore, the present case report provides information on behavioral treatments for nightmare disorder.

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

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