AN INVESTIGATION OF SLOW-WAVE SLEEP PROCESSES IN CHRONIC PTSD PATIENTS

Sleep parameters in individuals with chronic PTSD were investigated. P TSD subjects were not found to differ from age-matched controls in tot al number of arousals, but there was a differential distribution of ar ousals across the sleep period. Control subjects showed a normal arous al pattern, with decreased arousals during the first half of the sleep period reflecting the delta sleep prominent during this period, where as PTSD subjects demonstrated an abnormal arousal pattern characterize d by a relatively consistent frequency of arousals across the sleep pe riod. Overall, PTSD subjects had a decreased percentage of slow-wave s leep relative to controls, which may explain their increased arousals during the first half of the night. In addition, electrodermal recordi ngs indicated that PTSD subjects showed significantly less storming th an controls throughout the recording period.