Imagery rehearsal for posttraumatic nightmares: A randomized controlled trial
Joan M. Cook, Gerlinde C. Harb, Philip Gehrman, Mark S. Cary, Geraldine M. Gamble, David Forbes, Richard J Ross
Journal of Traumatic Stress October 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1002/jts.20569 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 124 |
| Population | Male Vietnam War veterans with chronic, severe PTSD |
| Intervention | Imagery rehearsal |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Imagery rehearsal did not significantly outperform an active comparison condition on nightmare frequency, sleep quality, or PTSD symptoms in veterans with chronic, severe PTSD; both groups improved over time but nightmare frequency did not change. |
Abstract
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. Intent‐to‐treat analyses showed that veterans who received imagery rehearsal had not improved significantly more than veterans in the comparison condition for the primary outcomes (nightmare frequency and sleep quality), or for a number of secondary outcomes, including PTSD. Six sessions of imagery rehearsal delivered in group format did not produce substantive improvement in Vietnam War veterans with chronic, severe PTSD. Possible explanations for findings are discussed.