Short-term stability and night-to-night variability of sleep parameters in nightmares comorbid with chronic insomnia Disorder across multiple nights of polysomnography.

Study Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of short-term stability of polysomnographic (PSG) measured sleep parameters and the overall differences between individuals with comorbid nightmares and insomnia compared to those with chronic insomnia disorder alone or good sleeping controls across four nights in the sleep lab.

Methods: A total of 142 good sleeping controls, 126 chronic insomnia alone, and 24 comorbid insomnia/nightmare participants underwent four consecutive nights of 8-hour PSG recordings. Outcomes included sleep continuity, architecture, and REM-related parameters across nights one through four.

Implications of language use in posttraumatic nightmares on psychological symptoms.

Objective: The current study sought to understand how language use in posttrauma nightmare (PTNM) reports may be related to psychological symptoms over the course of treatment.

Method: Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between language use in PTNMs and psychological symptoms. Specifically, cognitive processing words (CPW) and emotional tone (ET) measured in PTNMs were analyzed in their relationship to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom severity, as well as nightmare frequency and distress measured at the midtreatment and last treatment sessions.

Differentiating the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorders in adults: Utilizing a trauma-informed assessment approach.

In adult populations, bipolar disorders (BDs) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have overlapping symptoms, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. This misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose both co-occurring disorders can result in individuals not receiving the proper treatment to address their symptoms. This article highlights how trauma-informed psychological assessment can assist in differential diagnosis and improve the timely delivery of appropriate treatments.

Odor sensitivity impairment: a behavioral marker of psychological distress?

Objective: Enhanced odor sensitivity, particularly toward threat-related cues, may be adaptive during periods of danger. Research also suggests that chronic psychological distress may lead to functional changes in the olfactory system that cause heightened sensitivity to odors. Yet, the association between self-reported odor sensitivity, objective odor detection, and affective psychopathology is currently unclear, and research suggests that persons with affective problems may only be sensitive to specific, threat-related odors.