Effects of Sleep after Experimental Trauma on Intrusive Emotional Memories.
- Kleim B Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
- Wysokowsky J Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
- Schmid N Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
- Seifritz E Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich.
- Rasch B Division of Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
- 2016-10-18
Published in:
- Sleep. - 2016
PTSD
emotional memory
intrusion
memory consolidation
sleep
trauma
Adult
Arousal
Attention
Female
Humans
Memory
Memory, Episodic
Sleep
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Violence
Wounds and Injuries
Young Adult
English
STUDY OBJECTIVES
To investigate sleep's effect in the immediate aftermath of experiencing an analog trauma in the laboratory on reducing intrusive emotional memory formation.
METHODS
Sixty-five healthy women were exposed to an experimental laboratory trauma. They viewed a neutral and a trauma film in the laboratory and were randomly allocated to either a group that slept following film viewing or a group that remained awake. Sleep was recorded with electroencephalogram in a subgroup of participants in the sleep group. All participants recorded intrusive memories in the week following the film.
RESULTS
The sleep group experienced fewer and less distressing intrusive trauma memories compared to the wake group. These effects were particularly evident toward the end of the week. Duration spent in stage N2 as opposed to light N1 sleep, a higher number of fast parietal sleep spindles and a lower rapid eye movement sleep density predicted intrusion frequency.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results have clinical implications and set the ground for early-intervention sleep studies following trauma and prevention of chronic posttrauma disorders.
To investigate sleep's effect in the immediate aftermath of experiencing an analog trauma in the laboratory on reducing intrusive emotional memory formation.
METHODS
Sixty-five healthy women were exposed to an experimental laboratory trauma. They viewed a neutral and a trauma film in the laboratory and were randomly allocated to either a group that slept following film viewing or a group that remained awake. Sleep was recorded with electroencephalogram in a subgroup of participants in the sleep group. All participants recorded intrusive memories in the week following the film.
RESULTS
The sleep group experienced fewer and less distressing intrusive trauma memories compared to the wake group. These effects were particularly evident toward the end of the week. Duration spent in stage N2 as opposed to light N1 sleep, a higher number of fast parietal sleep spindles and a lower rapid eye movement sleep density predicted intrusion frequency.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results have clinical implications and set the ground for early-intervention sleep studies following trauma and prevention of chronic posttrauma disorders.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- bronze
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.5665/sleep.6310
- PMID 27748249
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/82394
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