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Related Concept Videos

Nightmares and Night Terrors01:18

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares often...
Cause and Effect01:53

Cause and Effect

While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder01:27

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual remembers mundane...
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by the absence of muscle paralysis that normally occurs during the REM phase of sleep. This absence allows individuals to physically act out their dreams, which are often vivid and disturbing. Common behaviors exhibited during episodes include kicking, punching, and yelling. These actions can be dangerous, potentially leading to injuries for the person with RBD or their bed partner.
RBD is significantly associated with...
Narcolepsy01:07

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.

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Related Experiment Video

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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Persistent nightmares are associated with repeat suicide attempt: a prospective study.

Nils Sjöström1, Jerker Hetta, Margda Waern

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. nils.sjostrom@neuro.gu.se

Psychiatry Research
|November 11, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Frequent nightmares may signal a higher risk of repeat suicide attempts. This risk increases significantly if nightmares persist over time, even after accounting for other mental health factors.

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Published on: October 10, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Suicidology

Background:

  • Suicide attempts represent a significant public health concern.
  • Identifying reliable predictors of repeat suicide attempts is crucial for effective intervention.
  • Sleep disturbances are common among individuals with a history of suicide attempts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between sleep disturbances, specifically nightmares, and the risk of repeat suicide attempts.
  • To determine if nightmares serve as a potential biomarker for suicidal behavior.
  • To examine the predictive value of sleep disturbances in a prospective cohort of suicide attempters.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 165 adult patients admitted after a suicide attempt.
  • Baseline and 2-month follow-up interviews using structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires (Uppsala Sleep Inventory, CPRS).
  • Logistic regression analysis to assess the association between sleep variables and repeat suicide attempts over a 2-year period.

Main Results:

  • 26% of participants made at least one repeat suicide attempt within 2 years.
  • Frequent nightmares at baseline were significantly associated with an increased risk of repeat attempts (OR=3.15).
  • Persistent nightmares at both baseline and follow-up further elevated this risk (OR=5.20), independent of other clinical factors.

Conclusions:

  • Nightmares may be a significant indicator of elevated risk for recurrent suicidal behavior.
  • The presence and persistence of nightmares warrant clinical attention in individuals with a history of suicide attempts.
  • Further research into the mechanisms linking nightmares and suicidal behavior is recommended.