0882 Characteristics Of Nap Sleep In Trauma-exposed Men And Women With And Without PTSD: Contributions Of Biological Sex And PTSD To REM Sleep In A Lab-based Experimental Study. (12th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Richards, Anne; Woodward, Steve; Ruoff, Leslie; Huie, Russell; Neylan, Thomas C
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 42(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A354
• Page End: A355
• Publication Date: 2019-04-12
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsz067.880
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: REM sleep abnormalities have been reported in PTSD and may contribute to PTSD pathophysiology. Differences in sleep responses to stressful events have also been proposed as predictors of later PTSD. Daytime (nap) sleep has not been studied as a potential avenue for examining sleep abnormalities in laboratory models of PTSD. Here we describe objectively-measured sleep in trauma-exposed adults with and without PTSD studied in an adaptation nap and under two experimental conditions: a stress condition, in which a nap opportunity follows lab-based stressors, and a control condition, in which the nap follows non-stressful activities. Methods: Thirty-one male and female participants with and without PTSD completed an adaptation, stress-condition and control-condition nap, all separated by at least 1 week, from 1:30-3:30 pm. Sleep was measured using standard polysomnography. Visually scored sleep variables were calculated for all naps. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) was performed at baseline and the PTSD Checklist (PCL) was performed prior to experimental naps. MANOVA assessed PTSD group, sex and group-by-sex interaction effects on REM latency and REM duration. Linear regression analyses examined CAPS and PCL effects on REM sleep. Results: PTSD-positive subjects exhibited shorter REM latency than controls (p<.05). There were no main effects of sex or nap type on REM latency, nor main effects of PTSD status, sex or nap type on REM duration. Analysis of interaction effects demonstrated that the PTSD effect was significant in males only. Linear regression analyses demonstrated that higher CAPS predicted longer REM duration in females (p<.05) and that higher PCL score predicted longer REM duration in males (p<.05), regardless of nap condition or PTSD status. Conclusion: These findings are consistent with research indicating PTSD effects on REM sleep. These analyses did not indicate an effect of pre-sleep stress on sleep. Laboratory studies of nap sleep may provide an effective approach to understanding sleep in PTSD and the role of sleep in disease-related mechanisms. Support (If Any): VA Career Development Award (Richards)