A Nonpharmacologic Method for Enhancing Sleep in PTSD

Abstract

Since 2001, more than 2 million U.S. military personnel have deployed in to Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent estimates suggest that between 17-20 of Soldiers returning from these conflicts meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) upon their return. Notably, sleep disturbance is one of the primary complaints of combat-related PTSD patients. Recent evidence suggests that sleep may play a critical role in the ability to effectively extinguish conditioned fear responses and is necessary for consolidating positively valenced emotional memories. Furthermore, many PTSD patients do not respond to currently available treatments, and sleep disturbance is a frequent residual symptom even among those patients who do respond. Thus, sleep disturbance, as a symptom of PTSD, may lead to a vicious circle that prevents full resolution of the conditioned fear responses, sustaining continuation of the disorder.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1044353

Entities

People

  • William D. Killgore

Organizations

  • University of Arizona

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Drug Abuse
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.