Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives.

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.

Validation of the French version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Addendum for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: Sleep disturbances are one of the main complaints of patients with trauma-related disorders. The original Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A) is self-report instrument developed to evaluate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-specific sleep disturbances in trauma-exposed individuals. However, to date, the PSQI-A has not yet been translated nor validated in French.

Validation of a French adaptation of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire among torture survivors from sub-Saharan African countries.

Background: To date no validated instrument in the French language exists to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors of torture and organized violence.

Objective: The aim of this study is to adapt and validate the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) to this population.

Method: The adapted version was administered to 52 French-speaking torture survivors, originally from sub-Saharan African countries, receiving psychological treatment in specialized treatment centers.