Motor dysfunction during sleep in posttraumatic stress disorder.
R J Ross, W A Ball, D F Dinges, N B Kribbs, A R Morrison, S M Silver, F D Mulvaney
Sleep December 1994 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/17.8.723 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Vietnam combat veterans with current PTSD and an age-matched normal control group |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Key findings | PTSD subjects had a higher percentage of REM sleep epochs with at least one prolonged twitch burst and were more likely to have periodic limb movements during non-REM sleep. The authors argue these RBD-like signs add to evidence for a fundamental disturbance of REM sleep phasic mechanisms in PTSD. |
Abstract
A subjective disturbance of sleep, including the occurrence of repetitive, stereotypical anxiety dreams, is characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The phenomenology of the PTSD anxiety dream has seemed most consistent with an underlying rapid eye movement (REM) sleep dysfunction. However, motor behavior reportedly can accompany PTSD dreams, and normal REM sleep typically involves a nearly total paralysis of the body musculature. As a means of understanding this discrepancy, anterior tibialis muscle activity during sleep was studied in a group of Vietnam combat veterans with current PTSD and in an age-matched normal control group. The PTSD subjects had a higher percentage of REM sleep epochs with at least one prolonged twitch burst; they also were more likely to have periodic limb movements in sleep, during nonrapid eye movement sleep. Both these forms of muscle activation also have been observed in REM behavior disorder (RBD), a parasomnia characterized by the actual enactment of dream sequences during REM sleep. The identification of RBD-like signs in PTSD adds to the evidence for a fundamental disturbance of REM sleep phasic mechanisms in PTSD.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Women with chronic PTSD secondary to sexual assault | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 6 |
| An Ambulatory Polysomnography Study of the Post-traumatic Nightmares of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment-seeking veterans, current serving military members, and emergency service... | 2017 | Observational study using ambulatory polysomnography | n = 35 |
| Increased Mastery Elements Associated With Imagery Rehearsal Treatment for Nightmares in Sexual Assault Survivors With PTSD. Female sexual assault survivors with chronic nightmares | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 44 |
| Posttraumatic stress symptoms following near-death experiences. Persons who report near-death experiences and those who came close to death without NDEs | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Impact of oral ketamine augmentation on hospital admissions in treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: a retrospective study. Outpatients with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD | 2018 | Retrospective review | n = 37 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Dreaming in Parasomnias: REM Sleep Behavior Disorder as a Model. Journal of Clinical Medicine October 28, 2022
- REM sleep, REM parasomnias, REM sleep behaviour disorder. Ideggyogyaszati szemle May 30, 2022
- The Many Faces of Sleep Disorders in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Update on Clinical Features and Treatment. Neuropsychobiology September 2, 2021
- Dream enactment behavior—a real nightmare: a review of post-traumatic stress disorder, REM sleep behavior disorder, and trauma-associated sleep disorder Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine August 17, 2020
- Prazosin for Trauma Nightmares and Sleep Disturbances in Combat Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences August 6, 2016
and 4 more in the library