title: Characteristics of objective daytime sleep among individuals with earthquake-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot community-based polysomnographic and multiple sleep latency test study.
abstract: Little is known about the objective sleep characteristics of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study examines the association between PTSD symptom severity and objective daytime sleep characteristics measured using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) in therapy-naïve patients with earthquake-related PTSD. A total of 23 PTSD patients and 13 trauma-exposed non-PTSD (TEN-PTSD) subjects completed one-night in-lab polysomnography (PSG) followed by a standard MSLT. 8 of the 23 PTSD patients received paroxetine treatment. Compared to the TEN-PTSD subjects, no significant nighttime sleep disturbances were detected by PSG in the subjects with PTSD; however, a shorter mean MSLT value was found in the subjects with PTSD. After adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index, PTSD symptoms, particularly hyperarousal, were found to be independently associated with a shorter MSLT value. Further, the mean MSLT value increased significantly after therapy in PTSD subjects. A shorter MSLT value may be a reliable index of the medical severity of PTSD, while an improvement in MSLT values might also be a reliable marker for evaluating therapeutic efficacy in PTSD patients.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Sleep Medicine Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Hongru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Haofei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Changjian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Sleep Medicine Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: xiangdong.tang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiangdong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: weizhang27@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002681:China; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017286:Polysomnography; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D017374:Paroxetine
keywords: Daytime sleepiness; Multiple sleep latency test; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Sleep