31 Among a psychiatric population of 100 Cambodian refugees, 42 subjects had panic
attacks and sleep paralysis; of this subgroup, 91% (38/42) reported hypnagogic visual hallucinations.32 Night terrors and somnambulism can also occur with PD.33 Patients with PD appear to differ in autonomic regulation when compared with normal subjects, and there are small differences between patients with daytime panic attacks and those with sleep-related panic attacks.34 In a controlled trial comparing heart rate variability (HRV) in response to sodium lactate challenge In patients with PD (n=12 with daytime panic, n=12 with sleep-related panic) and normal subjects (n=12), a marked subjective Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical response was noted In the PD patients, but not In control subjects. Although the 3 groups showed changes In HRV In response to sodium lactate challenge, HRV decrease was more pronounced In the group of PD patients compared with control subjects. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical check details during NREM sleep, the value for total power (TP) was significantly higher In the nocturnal panic patients. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical The PD patients as a group had higher values for TP and low-frequency power during REM sleep than control subjects. The PD patients had lower sleep efficiency
and less stage 4 sleep than control subjects.34 There were no significant differences between the two PD groups in sleep architecture. Polysomnography in PD patients demonstrates marginally Increased sleep, reduced sleep efficiency, and abrupt awakening with sensation of panic out of stage 2 NREM sleep toward the transition to SWS.13 Rarely, panic episodes may occur at sleep onset. Specific treatment of the sleep disturbance may be needed, since Cervena et al reported that conventional Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical therapy of PD In 20 subjects was not sufficient to treat the coexisting Insomnia.35 Posttraumatic stress disorder Similar to PDs, Insomnia Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Is also frequently seen In subjects with PTSD. In America, 5.2 million adults aged 18 to
54 years suffer from PTSD. PTSD results from exposure to a traumatic episode during which the subject experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events which Involved actual or threatened death, serious Injury, or threat to the physical Integrity of self or others, and the subject responded with either Intense fear, helplessness, or horror. The traumatic event Is persistently Idoxuridine reexperlenced through recurrent and Intrusive distressing recollections of the events, recurrent distressing dreams of the event, acting or feeling as If the traumatic event were recurring, or Intense psychological distress or physiological reactivity on exposure to external or internal cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event.13 Consequently, there Is numbing of general responsiveness and persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma.