Positive Association Between Nightmares and Heart Rate Response to Loud Tones: Relationship to Parasympathetic Dysfunction in PTSD Nightmares

Kaloyan S. Tanev; Scott P. Orr; Edward F. Pace-Schott; Michael Griffin; Roger K. Pitman; Patricia A. Resick

Positive Association Between Nightmares and Heart Rate Response to Loud Tones: Relationship to Parasympathetic Dysfunction in PTSD Nightmares

Kaloyan S. Tanev, Scott P. Orr, Edward F. Pace-Schott, Michael Griffin, Roger K. Pitman, Patricia A. Resick

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Seventy-three women with PTSD resulting from rape or physical assault participated in a loud-tone procedure, while skin conductance (SC), heart rate and electromyogram responses were recorded. Pearson correlations were examined between each psychophysiological response and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) symptom scores. Significant correlations were adjusted for each remaining individual PTSD symptom score. Heart rate response (HRR) significantly correlated with CAPS total score and with CAPS nightmares. The relationship between HRR and nightmares remained significant after controlling for each of the other 16 individual PTSD symptoms, for the remaining reexperiencing cluster, and for CAPS total score. The zero-order correlations between SC response and nightmares and between EMG response and nightmares were both not significant. The association of nightmares with larger HRR in the absence of an association with larger SC response likely reflects reduced parasympathetic tone. Thus, our findings indirectly support a role for reduced parasympathetic tone in PTSD nightmares.

Original language	American English
Journal	The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease [00223018]
Volume	205
State	Published - Apr 2017

Keywords

Psychophysiology
anxiety disorders
electromyography
heart rate response
posttraumatic stress disorder
skin conductance response
traumatic stress

Disciplines

Psychiatry and Psychology

Cite this

@article{9e78dd02aac541b0914944328584052b,

title = "Positive Association Between Nightmares and Heart Rate Response to Loud Tones: Relationship to Parasympathetic Dysfunction in PTSD Nightmares",

abstract = " Seventy-three women with PTSD resulting from rape or physical assault participated in a loud-tone procedure, while skin conductance (SC), heart rate and electromyogram responses were recorded. Pearson correlations were examined between each psychophysiological response and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) symptom scores. Significant correlations were adjusted for each remaining individual PTSD symptom score. Heart rate response (HRR) significantly correlated with CAPS total score and with CAPS nightmares. The relationship between HRR and nightmares remained significant after controlling for each of the other 16 individual PTSD symptoms, for the remaining reexperiencing cluster, and for CAPS total score. The zero-order correlations between SC response and nightmares and between EMG response and nightmares were both not significant. The association of nightmares with larger HRR in the absence of an association with larger SC response likely reflects reduced parasympathetic tone. Thus, our findings indirectly support a role for reduced parasympathetic tone in PTSD nightmares. ",

keywords = "Psychophysiology, anxiety disorders, electromyography, heart rate response, posttraumatic stress disorder, skin conductance response, traumatic stress",

author = "Tanev, {Kaloyan S.} and Orr, {Scott P.} and Pace-Schott, {Edward F.} and Michael Griffin and Pitman, {Roger K.} and Resick, {Patricia A.}",

note = "Kaloyan S. Tanev, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, a, * Scott P. Orr, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, a Edward F. Pace-Schott, M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, a Michael Griffin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, b Roger K. Pitman, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, a and Patricia A.",

year = "2017",

month = apr,

language = "American English",

volume = "205",

journal = "The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease [00223018]",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Positive Association Between Nightmares and Heart Rate Response to Loud Tones: Relationship to Parasympathetic Dysfunction in PTSD Nightmares

AU - Tanev, Kaloyan S.

AU - Orr, Scott P.

AU - Pace-Schott, Edward F.

AU - Griffin, Michael

AU - Pitman, Roger K.

AU - Resick, Patricia A.

N1 - Kaloyan S. Tanev, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, a, * Scott P. Orr, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, a Edward F. Pace-Schott, M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, a Michael Griffin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, b Roger K. Pitman, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, a and Patricia A.

PY - 2017/4

Y1 - 2017/4

N2 - Seventy-three women with PTSD resulting from rape or physical assault participated in a loud-tone procedure, while skin conductance (SC), heart rate and electromyogram responses were recorded. Pearson correlations were examined between each psychophysiological response and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) symptom scores. Significant correlations were adjusted for each remaining individual PTSD symptom score. Heart rate response (HRR) significantly correlated with CAPS total score and with CAPS nightmares. The relationship between HRR and nightmares remained significant after controlling for each of the other 16 individual PTSD symptoms, for the remaining reexperiencing cluster, and for CAPS total score. The zero-order correlations between SC response and nightmares and between EMG response and nightmares were both not significant. The association of nightmares with larger HRR in the absence of an association with larger SC response likely reflects reduced parasympathetic tone. Thus, our findings indirectly support a role for reduced parasympathetic tone in PTSD nightmares.

AB - Seventy-three women with PTSD resulting from rape or physical assault participated in a loud-tone procedure, while skin conductance (SC), heart rate and electromyogram responses were recorded. Pearson correlations were examined between each psychophysiological response and Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) symptom scores. Significant correlations were adjusted for each remaining individual PTSD symptom score. Heart rate response (HRR) significantly correlated with CAPS total score and with CAPS nightmares. The relationship between HRR and nightmares remained significant after controlling for each of the other 16 individual PTSD symptoms, for the remaining reexperiencing cluster, and for CAPS total score. The zero-order correlations between SC response and nightmares and between EMG response and nightmares were both not significant. The association of nightmares with larger HRR in the absence of an association with larger SC response likely reflects reduced parasympathetic tone. Thus, our findings indirectly support a role for reduced parasympathetic tone in PTSD nightmares.

KW - Psychophysiology

KW - anxiety disorders

KW - electromyography

KW - heart rate response

KW - posttraumatic stress disorder

KW - skin conductance response

KW - traumatic stress

UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5373938/

M3 - Article

VL - 205

JO - The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease [00223018]

JF - The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease [00223018]

ER -

Positive Association Between Nightmares and Heart Rate Response to Loud Tones: Relationship to Parasympathetic Dysfunction in PTSD Nightmares

Abstract

Keywords

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