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Nonnightmare distressed awakenings in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Response to prazosin
Author(s) -
Thompson Charles E.,
Taylor Fletcher B.,
McFall Miles E.,
Barnes Robert F.,
Raskind Murray A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20351
Subject(s) - bedtime , prazosin , psychology , posttraumatic stress , anxiety disorder , nightmare , hamd , antagonist , psychiatry , anxiety , clinical psychology , medicine , receptor
Twenty‐two veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed for trauma‐related nightmares and nonnightmare distressed awakenings (NNDA) before and after treatment with the alpha‐1 adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin at an average bedtime dose of 9.6 mg/day. Ratings combining frequency and intensity dimensions of trauma‐related nightmares decreased from 3.6 to 2.2, NNDA from 5.2 to 2.1, and sleep difficulty from 7.2 to 4.1 per week. These results suggest that increased brain adrenergic activity may contribute to the pathophysiology of both trauma‐related nightmares and NNDA in PTSD.