0074 Can We Identify Reproducible Brain-activity Markers Of PTSD During Sleep?. (12th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Chao; Ramakrishnan, Sridhar; Laxminarayan, Srinivas; Dovzhenok, Andrey; Germain, Anne; Reifman, Jaques
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 42(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A31
• Page End: A31
• 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/zsz067.073
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Combat-exposed veterans with PTSD often report sleep problems. Unfortunately, prior efforts that attempted to identify PTSD markers during sleep have yielded inconsistent findings. Here, we aim to find brain-activity markers of PTSD during sleep that are both reproducible across nights and sub-populations. Methods: During two consecutive nights of sleep, we obtained high-density (64-channel) EEG recordings from 78 combat-exposed Service men with (n = 31) and without (n = 47) a diagnosis of PTSD. We performed spectral-topographical analyses focusing on EEG activities considered to be functionally relevant to sleep, including delta activity (1-4 Hz) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, theta activity (4-8 Hz) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, sigma activity (12-15 Hz) during N2 sleep, and high-frequency beta and gamma activities (>15 Hz) during both NREM and REM sleep. To assess reproducibility, we performed a primary analysis with the first 47 consecutive participants (18 PTSDs) and then a replication analysis with the remaining 31 participants (13 PTSDs). Results: Compared to non-PTSD participants, PTSD participants exhibited 1) reduced NREM delta power over the centro-parietal brain regions (for both nights p < 0.036, Cohen's d > 0.68) and 2) elevated NREM and REM high-frequency power, most prominent in the gamma frequency band (30-40 Hz) over the anterio-frontal brain regions (for both nights p < 0.040, Cohen's d > 0.74). No significant group differences were found for REM theta and N2 sigma powers. These findings were consistent across the two nights and, importantly, were reproduced in the replication analysis in terms of effect size (Cohen's d > 0.34). Conclusion: The reduced centro-parietal NREM delta power, indicating reduced depth of sleep, and the elevated anterio-frontal NREM and REM gamma power, indicating heightened central arousal, are potential markers of PTSD during sleep. After independent validation, these putative EEG markers may offer new targets for the development of novel targeted sleep-specific PTSD treatments. Support (If Any): This work was sponsored by the Military Operational Medicine Program Area Directorate of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Ft. Detrick, MD.