DISTURBED SLEEP IN WAR VETERANS ACCORDING TO OVERNIGHT POLYSOMNOGRAPHY

Abstract

Summary. Sleep disorder is an integral part of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) along with all subsequent psychological disorders. Overnight polysomnography was performed in a group comprising war veterans (1991–1995) who exhibited a permanent change of personality disorder after they were diagnosed with PTSD as a direct result of combat participation. All 18 (men) participants at our Center who were sent to us from the National Center for Psychotrauma in Zagreb during year 2003, had been suffering from sleep disorder for more than 10 years, and who had on average received either individual or group psychotherapy along with psychopharmacological therapy for a period of 4–8 years. Control group were14 healthy men without psychiatric disorder. Overnight polysomnography and its subsequent analysis clearly showed discord in five of eight somnological variables when compared during night: reduction in NREM sleep stages 3 and 4, prolonged REM latency, reduction of REM, and a noticeable motoric activity during sleep registered with high PLM index in almost all participants, which disturbed the sleep continuity. There have been no studies dealing with connection between sleep disorders and PTSP associated with the war in the Republic Croatia. Results of this study indicate significant sleep disorders and changes of sleep quality in patients with diagnosed PTSP.