Isolated Sleep Paralysis in a Case of Panic Disorder
A. de Sousa
December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10067-0009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 33-year-old man with recurrent isolated sleep paralysis and panic disorder |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | The authors report a 33-year-old man whose recurrent isolated sleep paralysis went unrecognized for nearly six years because he attributed the episodes to his nocturnal panic attacks. They argue that isolated sleep paralysis commonly co-occurs with anxiety disorders and can mimic anxiety, so clinicians should consider it as a differential diagnosis rather than assuming nighttime freezing represents nocturnal panic attacks. |
Abstract
We present herewith a case of isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) which entails a transient, generalized inability to move or speak, i.e., usually seen during the patient’s transitions between sleep and wakefulness. We report the case of a 33-year-old man with recurrent ISP and panic disorder. The patient sought help after nearly 6 years of symptoms as he thought that the symptoms were part of his nocturnal panic attacks. Isolated sleep paralysis is seen in conjunction with multiple anxiety disorders and the symptoms may mimic anxiety, thereby confounding the diagnosis. It is prudent that clinicians keep in mind sleep paralysis as a differential diagnosis in anxiety disorders as all cases of freezing at night may not be nocturnal panic attacks
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent Palinopsia Following Ingestion of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Patients who developed persistent palinopsia after LSD ingestion | 1996 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
| LSD-Like Panic From Risperidone in Post-LSD Visual Disorder Patients with hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) | 1996 | Case study | n = 3 |
| Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy: Preliminary Clinical Observations on its Effects in Treating Death Anxiety Terminally-ill people suffering death anxiety | 2007 | Review and case study | n = 2 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Lifetime Prevalence Rates of Sleep Paralysis: A Systematic Review Sleep Medicine Reviews May 14, 2011
- Nightmare and sleep paralysis among Japanese adolescents: a nationwide representative survey. Sleep Medicine 2011
- Isolated sleep paralysis and fearful isolated sleep paralysis in outpatients with panic attacksb Journal of Clinical Psychology December 1, 2010
- Risk factors for isolated sleep paralysis in an African American sample: a preliminary study. Behavior Therapy December 2008
- Paranoid delusions and threatening hallucinations: a prospective study of sleep paralysis experiences. Consciousness and Cognition March 6, 2007
and 2 more in the library