Abstract
Background
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced condition, characterized
by intrusive memories and trauma-associated anxiety. Here, NREM (non-rapid eye movement)
sleep spindles might play a crucial role in learning and consolidating declarative
stressor information. However, sleep, and possibly sleep spindles, are also known
to regulate anxiety, suggestive of a dual role for sleep spindles in the processing
of stressors. Specifically, in high PTSD symptom individuals, spindles might fail
to regulate anxiety levels after exposure and instead might maladaptively consolidate
stressor information.
Methods
To disentangle the role of spindles in declarative memory vs. anxiety regulation after
stressor exposure, and to examine the role of PTSD in these processes, we measured
nap sleep after a cohort of 45 trauma-exposed subjects were exposed to laboratory
stress. Subjects (high vs. low in PTSD symptoms) performed two visits: 1) a stress
visit involving exposure to negatively valent images pre-nap and 2) a control visit.
In both visits, sleep was monitored via electroencephalography (EEG). A stressor recall
session took place post-nap in the stress visit.
Results
NREM2 spindle rates were higher in stress vs. control sleep indicative of stress-induced
changes in spindles. In high-PTSD subjects, NREM2 spindle rates in stress sleep predicted
poorer recall accuracy of stressor images relative to low-PTSD subjects, while correlating
with a greater reduction in stressor-induced anxiety levels post-sleep.
Conclusions
Contrary to our expectations, although spindles are known to play a role in declarative
memory processes, our findings highlight an important role for spindles in sleep-dependent
anxiety regulation in PTSD.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 22,
2023
Received in revised form:
February 21,
2023
Received:
June 2,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Contributions
Conceptualization: A.R., T.C.N. Hypothesis: N.N, A.R. Data collection: A.R., S.Q.H., C.D., N.S.U., L.M.Y. Polysomnography Visual Scoring: L.M.Y. EEG sleep data analysis, methodology, and software: N.N. Statistical analysis: N.N, T.M, A.R. Article draft: N.N., A.R. Article revision: N.N, T.C.N, T.M, D.H.M., S.H.W., A.R.
Declaration of interests
Dr. Mathalon serves as a consultant for Recognify Life Sciences, Syndesi Therapeutics, Giglamesh Pharma, and Neurocrine Biosciences. Dr. Neylan serves as a consultant for Jazz Pharmaceuticals. All other authors report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc on behalf of Society of Biological Psychiatry.
