Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD
Background: Sleep disturbance is a common characteristic of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides the clinical descriptions of nightmares and insomnia, periodic limb movements (PLMs) are reported to co-occur in PTSD. Although the causal relationship between sleep disturbance a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2013-04-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/18714/pdf_1 |
| _version_ | 1818510130384207872 |
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| author | Stefan Roepke Marie-Luise Hansen Anita Peter Angela Merkl Carla Palafox Heidi Danker-Hopfe |
| author_facet | Stefan Roepke Marie-Luise Hansen Anita Peter Angela Merkl Carla Palafox Heidi Danker-Hopfe |
| author_sort | Stefan Roepke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Sleep disturbance is a common characteristic of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides the clinical descriptions of nightmares and insomnia, periodic limb movements (PLMs) are reported to co-occur in PTSD. Although the causal relationship between sleep disturbance and PTSD is not fully understood, sleep disturbance is an independent risk factor for the development and reactivation of PTSD. In contrast, the link between PTSD and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is less clear. Method: A case report is presented to illustrate differential diagnosis and time course of sleep disturbance in the context of PTSD. Result: A 63-year-old man who had been successfully treated for PTSD but who suffered the re-occurrence of disturbed sleep due to RBD and PLM, which was misdiagnosed as reactivation of PTSD. Conclusions: RBD can mimic PTSD-related nightmares. Accurate diagnosis of sleep disturbance in PTSD is relevant for treatment and prognostic evaluation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:55:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d8f722022d784f12af70d10dab1165e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:55:00Z |
| publishDate | 2013-04-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8f722022d784f12af70d10dab1165e52022-12-22T01:30:18ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662013-04-01401610.3402/ejpt.v4i0.18714Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSDStefan RoepkeMarie-Luise HansenAnita PeterAngela MerklCarla PalafoxHeidi Danker-HopfeBackground: Sleep disturbance is a common characteristic of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides the clinical descriptions of nightmares and insomnia, periodic limb movements (PLMs) are reported to co-occur in PTSD. Although the causal relationship between sleep disturbance and PTSD is not fully understood, sleep disturbance is an independent risk factor for the development and reactivation of PTSD. In contrast, the link between PTSD and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is less clear. Method: A case report is presented to illustrate differential diagnosis and time course of sleep disturbance in the context of PTSD. Result: A 63-year-old man who had been successfully treated for PTSD but who suffered the re-occurrence of disturbed sleep due to RBD and PLM, which was misdiagnosed as reactivation of PTSD. Conclusions: RBD can mimic PTSD-related nightmares. Accurate diagnosis of sleep disturbance in PTSD is relevant for treatment and prognostic evaluation.http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/18714/pdf_1posttraumatic stress disorderREM sleep behaviour disordernightmaresperiodic limb movementssleep disturbance |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Roepke Marie-Luise Hansen Anita Peter Angela Merkl Carla Palafox Heidi Danker-Hopfe Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD European Journal of Psychotraumatology posttraumatic stress disorder REM sleep behaviour disorder nightmares periodic limb movements sleep disturbance |
| title | Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD |
| title_full | Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD |
| title_fullStr | Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD |
| title_short | Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD |
| title_sort | nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of ptsd |
| topic | posttraumatic stress disorder REM sleep behaviour disorder nightmares periodic limb movements sleep disturbance |
| url | http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/18714/pdf_1 |
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