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Michael Schredl - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Nightmare Distress, Beliefs about Nightmares, and Personality:
Imagination Cognition and Personality, 2020Co-Authors: Michael SchredlAbstract:A variety of factors contribute to Nightmare distress; in addition to Nightmare frequency also beliefs about Nightmares can be associated with heightened Nightmare distress. The study investigated ...
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Nightmare distress, Nightmare frequency, and beliefs about Nightmares
International Journal of Dream Research, 2019Co-Authors: Michael Schredl, Louisa Holyba, Tina Köllmer, Jessica Körfer, Annika ProßAbstract:The diagnosis of a Nightmare disorder is based on clinically significant distress caused by the Nightmares and, therefore, empirical research should focus on studying factors that affect Nightmare distress in addition to Nightmare frequency. Overall, 2056 persons (1212 woman, 844 men) completed the online survey. A reliable 6-item scale measuring beliefs about Nightmares was developed. The beliefs about Nightmares scale contributed to Nightmare distress independently from Nightmare frequency. From a clinical viewpoint, it would be desirable to carry out intervention studies looking at the effect of psychoeducation about Nightmares on Nightmare frequency and Nightmare distress.
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Nightmares and Stress: A Longitudinal Study.
Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2019Co-Authors: Michael Schredl, Maria Gilles, Isabell Wolf, Verena Peus, Barbara Scharnholz, Marc Sütterlin, Svenja Bardtke, Tabea Sarah Send, Angelina Samaras, Michael DeuschleAbstract:In Nightmare etiology, trait and state factors play important roles. However, the interaction of state and trait factors has never been studied in a longitudinal design. The current sample included 406 pregnant women who were followed up approximately 6 months after giving birth (n = 375) and 4 years later (n = 302). A Nightmare frequency scale and several stress-related questionnaires were presented at three measurement points. Despite the major life events in this sample, Nightmare frequency was very stable over this time period and decreased slightly. In line with previous findings, cross-sectional analyses showed that stressors were associated with current Nightmare frequency but longitudinal analyses indicated that previously measured Nightmare frequency showed even stronger effects on current Nightmare frequency. Because the Nightmare frequencies were very stable, it would be desirable to carry out intervention studies treating Nightmares as early as possible-even in childhood-and study whether Nightmare occurrence is lower even years after the intervention. Schredl M, Gilles M, Wolf I, Peus V, Scharnholz B, Sütterlin M, Bardtke S, Send TS, Samaras A, Deuschle M. Nightmares and stress: a longitudinal study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(9):1209-1215. © 2019 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
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Nightmare frequency and Nightmare distress: Socio-demographic and personality factors
Sleep science (Sao Paulo Brazil), 2019Co-Authors: Michael Schredl, Anja S. GoeritzAbstract:The diagnosis of a Nightmare disorder is based on clinically significant distress caused by the Nightmares, e.g., sleep or mood disturbances. In order to understand Nightmare etiology better empirical research should focus on studying factors that affect Nightmare distress in addition to Nightmare frequency. Overall, 2492 persons (1437 woman, 1055 men) completed the online survey. Nightmare frequency, global Nightmare distress, and personality traits were measured. The findings indicate that in addition to Nightmare frequency heightened emotional reactivity measured as neuroticism contribute to global Nightmare distress and, thus, supporting the neurocognitive model of Levin and Nielsen (2007). Moreover, the recurring Nightmares that relate to a waking-life event were associated with higher Nightmare distress. From a clinical viewpoint, it would be desirable to carry out similar surveys using diagnostic interviews in order to determine the presence of a Nightmare disorder and study the variables that are related to that diagnosis.
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Explaining the gender difference in Nightmare frequency.
The American journal of psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Michael SchredlAbstract:A recent meta-analysis showed a robust gender difference in Nightmare frequency of medium effect size in adolescents and young adults: Women tend to report Nightmares more frequently than men. The present study, carried out in an unselected student sample, indicates that 2 factors mediate the gender difference in Nightmare frequency: neuroticism and overall dream recall frequency. The effect of neuroticism on the gender difference and the finding that the gender difference in Nightmare frequency emerges at an age of about 10 years suggest that gender-specific socialization processes may play an important role in explaining the gender differences in Nightmare frequency in adolescents and young to middle-aged adults. This idea is supported by the previous finding that Nightmare frequency is related to sex role orientation. However, longitudinal studies are necessary to validate these hypotheses.
Anne Germain - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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aetiology and treatment of Nightmare disorder state of the art and future perspectives
Journal of Sleep Research, 2019Co-Authors: Annika Gieselmann, Barry Krakow, Malik Ait Aoudia, Michelle Carr, Anne Germain, Robert Gorzka, Brigitte Holzinger, Birgit Kleim, Anna E Kunze, Jaap LanceeAbstract:This consensus paper provides an overview of the state of the art in research on the aetiology and treatment of Nightmare disorder and outlines further perspectives on these issues. It presents a definition of Nightmares and Nightmare disorder followed by epidemiological findings, and then explains existing models of Nightmare aetiology in traumatized and non-traumatized individuals. Chronic Nightmares develop through the interaction of elevated hyperarousal and impaired fear extinction. This interplay is assumed to be facilitated by trait affect distress elicited by traumatic experiences, early childhood adversity and trait susceptibility, as well as by elevated thought suppression and potentially sleep-disordered breathing. Accordingly, different treatment options for Nightmares focus on their meaning, on the chronic repetition of the Nightmare or on maladaptive beliefs. Clinically, knowledge of healthcare providers about Nightmare disorder and the delivery of evidence-based interventions in the healthcare system is discussed. Based on these findings, we highlight some future perspectives and potential further developments of Nightmare treatments and research into Nightmare aetiology.
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Nightmares and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 2016Co-Authors: Rebecca L. Campbell, Anne GermainAbstract:Nightmares are a unique feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although Nightmares are a symptom of PTSD, they have been shown to independently contribute to psychiatric distress and poor outcomes, including heightened suicidality and suicide. Nightmares are often resistant to recommended pharmacological or psychological PTSD treatments. Fortunately, Nightmare-specific treatments are available, and improvements in Nightmares are associated with clinically significant improvements in sleep quality and severity of daytime PTSD symptoms. The recent literature on the characteristics, neurophysiology, and treatment of Nightmares in the context of PTSD is reviewed. Recent findings on the neurophysiological correlates of Nightmares and more generally, dreaming, are also discussed here as they suggest novel directions for understanding the mechanisms underlying Nightmares comorbid with PTSD and potential novel treatment approaches.
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Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for Nightmare disorder
International review of psychiatry (Abingdon England), 2014Co-Authors: Michael R. Nadorff, Karen K. Lambdin, Anne GermainAbstract:Interest in the treatment of Nightmares has greatly increased over the last several years as research has demonstrated the clinical signifi cance of Nightmare disorder. This paper provides an overview of Nightmare disorder, its clinical relevance, and the leading treatments that are available. In particular, the paper defi nes Nightmare disorder and then summarize the recent literature examining the clinical relevance of Nightmare disorder, including its relation to post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric conditions. The relation between Nightmares and suicidality is also discussed. Recent fi ndings on the treatment of Nightmare with imagery rehearsal therapy and prazosin are then summarized. Lastly, the paper comments on potential future uses of Nightmare treatment including using imagery rehearsal therapy or prazosin as a fi rstline intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder and using these treatments as an adjunctive therapy to reduce suicide risk in those at risk of suicide with Nightmares.
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Correlates and Treatments of Nightmares in Adults
Sleep medicine clinics, 2009Co-Authors: Brant P. Hasler, Anne GermainAbstract:Nightmares, distressing dreams that primarily arise from REM sleep, are prevalent among the general population and even more so among clinical populations. The frequency of Nightmares and related Nightmare distress are linked to both sleep disturbance and waking psychopathology. Based on the extant evidence, Nightmares appear to be particularly relevant to posttraumatic stress disorder, and may even be implicated in its pathophysiology. Significant advances in treatment have occurred in recent years, with effective pharmacological and psychosocial interventions now available. Despite the progress that has been made, however, more consistent assessment methods and more rigorous study designs are needed to fully understand the causes and consequences of Nightmares.
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sleep pathophysiology in posttraumatic stress disorder and idiopathic Nightmare sufferers
Biological Psychiatry, 2003Co-Authors: Anne Germain, Tore NielsenAbstract:Abstract Background Nightmares are common in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but they also frequently occur in idiopathic form. Findings associated with sleep disturbances in these two groups have been inconsistent, and sparse for idiopathic Nightmares. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether sleep anomalies in PTSD sufferers with frequent Nightmares (P-NM) differ from those observed in non-PTSD, idiopathic Nightmare (I-NM) sufferers and healthy individuals. Methods Sleep measures were obtained from nine P-NM sufferers, 11 I-NM sufferers, and 13 healthy control subjects. All participants slept in the laboratory for two consecutive nights where electroencephalogram, electro-oculogram, chin and leg electromyogram, electrocardiogram, and respiration were recorded continuously. Results Posttraumatic Nightmare sufferers had significantly more nocturnal awakenings than did I-NM sufferers and control subjects. Elevated indices of periodic leg movements (PLMs) during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep characterized both P-NM and I-NM sufferers. Conclusions Posttraumatic Nightmare sufferers exhibit more nocturnal awakenings than do I-NM sufferers and control subjects, which supports the hypothesis of hyperarousal in sleep in PTSD sufferers; however, elevated PLM indices in both P-NM and I-NM sufferers suggest that PLMs may not be a marker of hyperarousal in sleep of PTSD sufferers. Rather, PLMs may be a correlate of processes contributing to intense negative dreaming.
Tore Nielsen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The Stress Acceleration Hypothesis of Nightmares.
Frontiers in neurology, 2017Co-Authors: Tore NielsenAbstract:Adverse childhood experiences can deleteriously affect future physical and mental health, increasing risk for many illnesses, including psychiatric problems, sleep disorders and, according to the present hypothesis, idiopathic Nightmares. Much like post-traumatic Nightmares, which are triggered by trauma and lead to recurrent emotional dreaming about the trauma, idiopathic Nightmares are hypothesized to originate in early adverse experiences that lead in later life to the expression of early memories and emotions in dream content. Accordingly, the objectives of this paper are to 1) review existing literature on sleep, dreaming and Nightmares in relation to early adverse experiences, drawing upon both empirical studies of dreaming and Nightmares and books and chapters by recognized Nightmare experts, and 2) propose a new approach to explaining Nightmares that is based upon the Stress Acceleration Hypothesis of mental illness. The latter stipulates that susceptibility to mental illness is increased by adversity occurring during a developmentally sensitive window for emotional maturation—the infantile amnesia period—that ends around age 3½. Early adversity accelerates the neural and behavioral maturation of emotional systems governing the expression, learning and extinction of fear memories and may afford short-term adaptive value. But it also engenders long-term dysfunctional consequences including an increased risk for Nightmares. Two mechanisms are proposed: 1) disruption of infantile amnesia allows normally forgotten early childhood memories to influence later emotions, cognitions and behavior, including the common expression of threats in Nightmares; 2) alterations of normal emotion regulation processes of both waking and sleep lead to increased fear sensitivity and less effective fear extinction. These changes influence an affect network previously hypothesized to regulate fear extinction during REM sleep, disruption of which leads to Nightmares. This network consists of a fear circuit that includes amygdala, hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex and whose substantial overlap with the stress-acceleration findings allows the latter to be incorporated into a wider, more developmentally coherent framework.
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Nightmares associated with the eveningness chronotype.
Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2010Co-Authors: Tore NielsenAbstract:Relations between common Nightmares and chronobiological factors remain poorly understood. The possibility that Nightmare frequency and distress are associated with chronotype (“morningness-eveningness”) was investigated in a sample of respondents to an Internet questionnaire. Over a 4½-year period, a total of 3978 subjects (mean age = 26.5 ± 11.6 yrs; age range = 10-69; 2933 female, 1045 male) submitted responses to single items about chronotype and Nightmares as well as to other demographic variables. Analyses of chronotype and Nightmares items by age and gender replicated most previous findings for these measures—validating their further assessment—and uncovered abrupt increases in Nightmare distress between ages 10-19 and 20-29 for females and ages 30-39 and 40-49 for males. Most important, there was a strong association between Nightmares and eveningness for female subjects. The latter was expressed as a linear association between Nightmare frequency and increasing eveningness and a cubic association...
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disturbed dreaming posttraumatic stress disorder and affect distress a review and neurocognitive model
Psychological Bulletin, 2007Co-Authors: Ross Levin, Tore NielsenAbstract:Nightmares are common, occurring weekly in 4%–10% of the population, and are associated with female gender, younger age, increased stress, psychopathology, and dispositional traits. Nightmare pathogenesis remains unexplained, as do differences between nontraumatic and posttraumatic Nightmares (for those with or without posttraumatic stress disorder) and relations with waking functioning. No models adequately explain Nightmares nor have they been reconciled with recent developments in cognitive neuroscience, fear acquisition, and emotional memory. The authors review the recent literature and propose a conceptual framework for understanding a spectrum of dysphoric dreaming. Central to this is the notion that variations in Nightmare prevalence, frequency, severity, and psychopathological comorbidity reflect the influence of both affect load, a consequence of daily variations in emotional pressure, and affect distress, a disposition to experience events with distressing, highly reactive emotions. In a cross-state, multilevel model of dream function and Nightmare production, the authors integrate findings on emotional memory structures and the brain correlates of emotion.
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sleep pathophysiology in posttraumatic stress disorder and idiopathic Nightmare sufferers
Biological Psychiatry, 2003Co-Authors: Anne Germain, Tore NielsenAbstract:Abstract Background Nightmares are common in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but they also frequently occur in idiopathic form. Findings associated with sleep disturbances in these two groups have been inconsistent, and sparse for idiopathic Nightmares. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether sleep anomalies in PTSD sufferers with frequent Nightmares (P-NM) differ from those observed in non-PTSD, idiopathic Nightmare (I-NM) sufferers and healthy individuals. Methods Sleep measures were obtained from nine P-NM sufferers, 11 I-NM sufferers, and 13 healthy control subjects. All participants slept in the laboratory for two consecutive nights where electroencephalogram, electro-oculogram, chin and leg electromyogram, electrocardiogram, and respiration were recorded continuously. Results Posttraumatic Nightmare sufferers had significantly more nocturnal awakenings than did I-NM sufferers and control subjects. Elevated indices of periodic leg movements (PLMs) during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep characterized both P-NM and I-NM sufferers. Conclusions Posttraumatic Nightmare sufferers exhibit more nocturnal awakenings than do I-NM sufferers and control subjects, which supports the hypothesis of hyperarousal in sleep in PTSD sufferers; however, elevated PLM indices in both P-NM and I-NM sufferers suggest that PLMs may not be a marker of hyperarousal in sleep of PTSD sufferers. Rather, PLMs may be a correlate of processes contributing to intense negative dreaming.
Ross Levin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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disturbed dreaming posttraumatic stress disorder and affect distress a review and neurocognitive model
Psychological Bulletin, 2007Co-Authors: Ross Levin, Tore NielsenAbstract:Nightmares are common, occurring weekly in 4%–10% of the population, and are associated with female gender, younger age, increased stress, psychopathology, and dispositional traits. Nightmare pathogenesis remains unexplained, as do differences between nontraumatic and posttraumatic Nightmares (for those with or without posttraumatic stress disorder) and relations with waking functioning. No models adequately explain Nightmares nor have they been reconciled with recent developments in cognitive neuroscience, fear acquisition, and emotional memory. The authors review the recent literature and propose a conceptual framework for understanding a spectrum of dysphoric dreaming. Central to this is the notion that variations in Nightmare prevalence, frequency, severity, and psychopathological comorbidity reflect the influence of both affect load, a consequence of daily variations in emotional pressure, and affect distress, a disposition to experience events with distressing, highly reactive emotions. In a cross-state, multilevel model of dream function and Nightmare production, the authors integrate findings on emotional memory structures and the brain correlates of emotion.
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Nightmare prevalence, Nightmare distress, and self-reported psychological disturbance
Sleep, 2002Co-Authors: Ross Levin, Gary FiremanAbstract:Study Objectives: The relationship between Nightmare prevalence, Nightmare distress, and self-reported psychological disturbance was assessed prospectively. Design: Differences in self-reported psychological disturbance as a function of Nightmare prevalence was investigated by MANCOVA's with non-Nightmare dreams as the covariate as well as Pearson correlations. The relative contribution of Nightmare prevalence and distress to the prediction of psychological disturbance was investigated through multiple regression analyses. Setting: N/A. Participants: 116 participants (mean age = 20 years) completed self-report indices of depression, anxiety, dissociation, psychosis-proneness, and a psychiatric symptom checklist and kept a Nightmare log for 21 consecutive nights. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Frequent Nightmares were associated with higher levels of psychological disturbance. Individuals who reported 3 or more Nightmares across the 3 weeks reported more dissociation, psychosis-proneness and psychiatric symptoms than participants reporting 2 Nightmares or less. However, Nightmare prevalence and distress were not significantly correlated and differentially predicted to different types of waking psychological disturbance. Multiple regressions further indicated that Nightmare distress accounted for much of the unique explanatory variance in predicting clinical states associated with high negative affect (anxiety and depression). Last, there was no evidence for a specific relationship between Nightmares and psychosis-proneness. Conclusions: The findings suggest that it is not the incidence of Nightmares which is associated with poorer waking psychological functioning, especially anxiety and depression states, but the reported distress associated with the Nightmare experience which is the critical variable in predicting higher psychological disturbance.
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Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance PARASOMNIA
2002Co-Authors: Ross Levin, Gary FiremanAbstract:Study Objectives: The relationship between Nightmare prevalence, Nightmare distress, and self-reported psychological disturbance was assessed prospectively. Design: Differences in self-reported psychological disturbance as a function of Nightmare prevalence was investigated by MANCOVA's with nonNightmare dreams as the covariate as well as Pearson correlations. The relative contribution of Nightmare prevalence and distress to the prediction of psychological disturbance was investigated through multiple regression analyses. Setting: N/A. Participants: 116 participants (mean age = 20 years) completed selfreport indices of depression, anxiety, dissociation, psychosis-proneness, and a psychiatric symptom checklist and kept a Nightmare log for 21 consecutive nights. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Frequent Nightmares were associated with higher levels of psychological disturbance. Individuals who reported 3 or more Nightmares across the 3 weeks reported more dissociation, psychosis-proneness and psychiatric symptoms than participants reporting 2 Nightmares or less. However, Nightmare prevalence and distress were not significantly correlated and differentially predicted to different types of waking psychological disturbance. Multiple regressions further indicated that Nightmare distress accounted for much of the unique explanatory variance in predicting clinical states associated with high negative affect (anxiety and depression). Last, there was no evidence for a specific relationship between Nightmares and psychosis-proneness. Conclusions: The findings suggest that it is not the incidence of Nightmares which is associated with poorer waking psychological functioning, especially anxiety and depression states, but the reported distress associated with the Nightmare experience which is the critical variable in predicting higher psychological disturbance.
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Nightmares: Friend or foe?
Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2000Co-Authors: Ross LevinAbstract:Revonsuo's evolution-based theory places the Nightmare as a prototype dream, which fully realizes its biological function. However, individuals who experience both repetitive (PTSD) Nightmares and/or lifelong nontraumatic Nightmares demonstrate impaired psychological functioning and attenuated information-processing. The importance of reconciling these discrepancies are addressed and ideas for providing stronger empirical tests of the model are presented.[Revonsuo]
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Nightmares and annihilation anxiety.
Psychoanalytic Psychology, 1995Co-Authors: Ross Levin, Marvin HurvichAbstract:The relation between self-reported frequency of Nightmares, as well as a number of saliency measures of the Nightmare experience, and a self-report measure of annihilation anxiety was evaluated in two, independent college student populations. A significant positive relation was found between Nightmare frequency and salience and annihilation anxiety. Furthermore, these findings were cross-validated across both samples. The results are discussed within the context of object relations and ego psychology theory utilizing an ego boundary model and are consistent with previous research demonstrating boundary impairment in self-reported frequent Nightmare subjects
Wei Wang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Nightmare experience and personality disorder functioning styles in healthy volunteers and Nightmare disorder patients.
Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 2020Co-Authors: Xu Shao, Chu Wang, Chanchan Shen, Yanli Jia, Wei WangAbstract:Nightmares are prevalent in psychiatric disorders, and personality disorder features might be associated with Nightmare experience, especially in Nightmare disorder patients. The authors invited 219 healthy volunteers and 118 Nightmare disorder patients to undergo tests of the Nightmare Experience Questionnaire (NEQ), the Parker Personality Measure (PERM), and the Plutchik-van Praag Depression Inventory. Compared to healthy volunteers, Nightmare disorder patients scored significantly higher on annual Nightmare frequency and NEQ Physical Effect, Negative Emotion, Meaning Interpretation, and Horrible Stimulation, and higher on PERM Paranoid, Schizotypal, Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Avoidant, and Dependent styles. Borderline, Schizotypal, and Passive-Aggressive styles in healthy volunteers and Dependent, Avoidant, Histrionic, and Paranoid in patients were significant predictors of some NEQ scales. Higher annual Nightmare frequency, higher scale scores of Nightmare experience and personality disorder styles, and more associations between the two were found in Nightmare disorder patients, implying the need for personality-adjustment therapy for Nightmare disorder.
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Nightmare experience and family relationships in healthy volunteers and Nightmare disorder patients
BMC psychiatry, 2019Co-Authors: Chu Wang, Xu Shao, Chanchan Shen, Yanli Jia, Wei WangAbstract:Nightmares are associated with parental bonding styles and various psychiatric disorders, but the exact connections between different Nightmare experience features and family relationships in healthy volunteers and Nightmare disorder patients are still unclear. We therefore invited 62 Nightmare disorder patients and 135 healthy volunteers to undergo tests of the Nightmare Experience Questionnaire (NEQ), the Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ), and the Plutchik - van Praag Depression Inventory (PVP). Besides the higher Nightmare frequency and the higher PVP and four NEQ scale scores, the Nightmare disorder patients had higher scores of FRQ Paternal Abuse, and lower ones of General Attachment, Maternal Encouragement, Maternal Freedom Release, and Paternal Freedom Release. The PVP was correlated with some NEQ and FRQ scales in both healthy volunteers and patients, and it functioned as a mediator between Physical Effect and Maternal Dominance in patients. Regarding predicting NEQ by FRQ, Paternal Abuse predicted Physical Effect, Maternal Dominance predicted Physical Effect and Horrible Stimulation, General Attachment predicted Horrible Stimulation (−) in healthy volunteers; Maternal Dominance predicted Physical Effect, Meaning Interpretation, and Horrible Stimulation, Paternal Freedom Release predicted Physical Effect (−), and Paternal Dominance predicted Meaning Interpretation and Nightmare frequency in patients. Our study has demonstrated that the inappropriate family relationships were linked with different aspects of Nightmare experience, especially in Nightmare disorder patients.
