Nightmares and schizotypy.
Psychiatry 1998 DOI: 10.1080/00332747.1998.11024832 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Female college students |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Frequent nightmare subjects showed greater schizotypal signs and similar electrodermal habituation patterns to those seen in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders compared to controls. |
Abstract
In order to explore the proposed relationship between nightmare occurrence and schizotypy, 30 frequent-nightmare subjects (at least one occurrence per week) and 30 low-nightmare controls, all of whom were female college students, were compared on several converging measures of schizotypal signs and behaviors. Consistent with previous research, frequent nightmare subjects demonstrated greater deviance on psychometric scales of schizotypy, and reported significantly greater schizotypal symptomatology on a structured clinical interview, than controls did. In addition, nightmare subjects produced similar electrodermal habituation patterns to auditory orienting stimuli as those that have been documented in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The results suggest that nightmare experience may be a useful conjoint behavioral indicator for the early detection of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology.