Pharmacotherapy for disordered sleep in post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review

International Clinical Psychopharmacology

Volumn 21, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 193-202

  Van Liempt, Saskia ^a   Vermetten, Eric ^a,b   Geuze, Elbert ^a,b   Westenberg, Herman G M ^b  

^a CENTRAL MILITARY HOSPITAL   (Netherlands)

^b UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER UTRECHT   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Insomnia; Nightmares; Pharmacotherapy; PTSD; Review; Sleep

Indexed keywords

ALPHA 1 ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR BLOCKING AGENT; ANTICONVULSIVE AGENT; ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT; ANXIOLYTIC AGENT; ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENT; BENZODIAZEPINE DERIVATIVE; BUSPIRONE; CHLORAL HYDRATE; CLONAZEPAM; CLONIDINE; FLUOXETINE; GABAPENTIN; IMIPRAMINE; MIRTAZAPINE; MOCLOBEMIDE; MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITOR; NEFAZODONE; OLANZAPINE; PAROXETINE; PHENELZINE; PRAZOSIN; SEROTONIN 2 ANTAGONIST; SEROTONIN UPTAKE INHIBITOR; TEMAZEPAM; TIAGABINE; TOPIRAMATE; TRAZODONE; TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT; UNINDEXED DRUG; ZOLPIDEM;

CLINICAL TRIAL; COCHRANE LIBRARY; DISEASE ASSOCIATION; DRUG EFFICACY; EMBASE; GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOM; HUMAN; INCIDENCE; INSOMNIA; MEDLINE; NIGHTMARE; ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION; POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER; PRIAPISM; PRIORITY JOURNAL; QUALITY OF LIFE; REVIEW; SIDE EFFECT; SLEEP DISORDER; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW; WEIGHT GAIN;

ANTI-ANXIETY AGENTS; ANTICONVULSANTS; ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS; ANTIPSYCHOTIC AGENTS; BENZODIAZEPINES; CLINICAL TRIALS; HUMANS; MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS; PRAZOSIN; RECEPTORS, ADRENERGIC, ALPHA-1; SEROTONIN UPTAKE INHIBITORS; SLEEP DISORDERS; STRESS DISORDERS, POST-TRAUMATIC;

EID: 33646702824     PISSN: 02681315     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00004850-200607000-00001     Document Type: Review

References (106)

1. Ahearn EP, Krohn A, Connor KM, Davidson JR (2003). Pharmacologic treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: a focus on antipsychotic use. Ann Clin Psychiatry 15:193-201.
2. Aukst-Margetic B, Margetic B, Tosic G, Bilic-Prcic A (2004). Levomepromazine helps to reduce sleep problems in patients with PTSD. Eur Psychiatry 19:235-236.
3. Berlant JL (2001). Topiramate in posttraumatic stress disorder: preliminary clinical observations. J Clin Psychiatry 62 (Suppl 17):60-63.
4. Berlant J, van Kammen DP (2002). Open-label topiramate as primary or adjunctive therapy in chronic civilian posttraumatic stress disorder: a preliminary report. J Clin Psychiatry 63:15-20.
5. Bonnet MH, Arand DL (1997). Physiological activation in patients with sleep state misperception. Psychosom Med 59:533-540.
6. Bremner JD, Innis RB, Southwick SM, Staib L, Zoghbi S, Charney DS (2000). Decreased benzodiazepine receptor binding in prefrontal cortex in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Am J Psychiatry 157:1120-1126.
7. Breslau N, Roth T, Burduvali E, Kapke A, Schultz L, Roehrs T (2004). Sleep in lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder: a community-based polysomnographic study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61:508-516.
8. Brophy MH (1991). Cyproheptadine for combat nightmares in post-traumatic stress disorder and dream anxiety disorder. Mil Med 156:100-101.
9. Cates ME, Bishop MH, Davis LL, Lowe JS, Woolley TW (2004). Clonazepam for treatment of sleep disturbances associated with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Ann Pharmacother 38:1395-1399.
10. Charney DS (2004). Psychobiological mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability: implications for successful adaptation to extreme stress. Am J Psychiatry 161:195-216.
11. Charney DS, Deutch AY, Krystal JH, Southwick SM, Davis M (1993). Psychobiologic mechanisms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 50:295-305.
12. Dagan Y, Lavie P, Bleich A (1991). Elevated awakening thresholds in sleep stage 3-4 in war-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 30:618-622.
13. David D, Mellman TA, Mendoza LM, Kulick-Bell R, Ironson G, Schneiderman N (1996). Psychiatric morbidity following Hurricane Andrew. J Trauma Stress 9:607-612.
14. Davidson J, Walker JI, Kilts C (1987). A pilot of phenelzine in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Br J Psychiatry 150:252-255.
15. Davidson JR, Rothbaum BO, van der Kolk BA, Sikes CR, Farfel GM (2001). Multicenter, double-blind comparison of sertraline and placebo in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58:485-492.
16. De Boer M, Op den Velde W, Falger PJ, Hovens JE, De Groen JH, Van Duijn H (1992). Fluvoxamine treatment for chronic PTSD: a pilot study. Psychother Psychosom 57:158-163.
17. De Groen JH, Op den Velde W, Hovens JE, Falger PR, Schouten EG, van Duijn H (1993). Snoring and anxiety dreams. Sleep 16:35-36.
18. Dieperink ME, Drogemuller L (1999). Zolpidem for insomnia related to PTSD. Psychiatr Serv 50:421.
19. Dillard ML, Bendfeldt F, Jernigan P (1993). Use of thioridazine in post-traumatic stress disorder. South Med J 86:1276-1278.
20. Dow BM, Kelsoe JR Jr, Gillin JC (1996). Sleep and dreams in Vietnam PTSD and depression. Biol Psychiatry 39:42-50.
21. Engdahl BE, Eberly RE, Hurwitz TD, Mahowald MW, Blake J (2000). Sleep in a community sample of elderly war veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 47:520-525.
22. Gavish M, Laor N, Bidder M, Fisher D, Fonia O, Muller U, et al. (1996). Altered platelet peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 14:181-186.
23. Geuze E, Vermetten E (2004.) Disordered sleep in posttraumatic stress disorder: clinical presentation, research findings, and implications for treatment. In: Golbin A, Kravitz H, Keith LG, editors. Sleep psychiatry. New York, New York: Taylor & Francis; pp. 247-269.
24. Gillin JC, Smith-Vaniz A, Schnierow B, Rapaport MH, Kelsoe J, Raimo E, et al. (2001). An open-label, 12-week clinical and sleep EEG study of nefazodone in chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 62:789-796.
25. 2 vulnerability in panic disoder. Psychiatry Res 20:87-95.
26. Gupta S, Popli A, Bathurst E, Hennig L, Droney T, Keller P (1998). Efficacy of cyproheptadine for nightmares associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. Compr Psychiatry 39:160-164.
27. Hamner MB, Brodrick PS, Labbate LA (2001). Gabapentin in PTSD: a retrospective, clinical series of adjunctive therapy. Ann Clin Psychiatry 13:141-146.
28. Harsch HH (1986). Cyproheptadine for recurrent nightmares. Am J Psychiatry 143:1491-1492.
29. Hertzberg MA, Feldman ME, Beckham JC, Davidson JR (1996). Trial of trazodone for posttraumatic stress disorder using a multiple baseline group design. J Clin Psychopharmacol 16:294-298.
30. Hertzberg MA, Feldman ME, Beckham JC, Moore SD, Davidson JR (1998). Open trial of nefazodone for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 59:460-464.
31. Hertzberg MA, Feldman ME, Beckham JC, Moore SD, Davidson JR (2002). Three- to four-year follow-up to an open trial of nefazodone for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Ann Clin Psychiatry 14:215-221.
32. Hidalgo R, Hertzberg MA, Mellman T, Petty F, Tucker P, Weisler R, et al. (1999). Nefazodone in post-traumatic stress disorder: results from six open-label trials. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 14:61-68.
33. Hilakivi I, Leppavuori A (1984). Effects of methoxamine, and alpha-1 adrenoceptor agonist, and prazosin, an alpha-1 antagonist, on the stages of the sleep-waking cycle in the cat. Acta Physiol Scand 120:363-372.
34. Hogben GL, Cornfield RB (1981). Treatment of traumatic war neurosis with phenelzine. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38:440-445.
35. Hunsley MS, Palmiter RD (2004). Altered sleep latency and arousal regulation in mice lacking norepinephrine. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 78:765-773.
36. Hurwitz TD, Mahowald MW, Kuskowski M, Engdahl BE (1998). Polysomnographic sleep is not clinically impaired in Vietnam combat veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorders. Bol Psychiatry 44:1066-1073.
37. Idzikowski C, Mills FJ, James RJ (1991). A dose-response study examining the effects of ritanserin on human slow wave sleep. Br J Clin Pharmacol 31:193-196.
38. Jacobs-Rebhun S, Schnurr PP, Friedman MJ, Peck R, Brophy M, Fuller D (2000). Posttraumatic stress disorder and sleep difficulty. Am J Psychiatry 157:1525-1526.
39. Jakovljevic M, Sagud M, Mihaljevic-Peles A (2003). Olanzapine in the treatment-resistant, combat-related PTSD - a series of case reports. Acta Psychiatr Scand 107:394-396.
40. Kinzie JD, Leung P (1989). Clonidine in Cambodian patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis 177:546-550.
41. Kinzie JD, Sack RL, Riley CM (1994). The polysomnographic effects of clonidine on sleep disorders in posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study with Cambodian patients. J Nerv Ment Dis 182:585-587.
42. Kleinlogel H (1989). Effects of the selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocker prazosin on EEG sleep and waking stages in the rat. Neuropsychobiology 21:100-103.
43. Krakow B, Melendrez D, Johnston L, Warner TD, Clark JO, Pacheco M, et al. (2002). Sleep-disordered breathing, psychiatric distress, and quality of life impairment in sexual assault survivors. J Nerv Ment Dis 190:442-452.
44. Krystal AD, Edinger JD, Wohlgemuth WK, Marsh GR (2002). NREM sleep EEG frequency spectral correlates of sleep complaints in primary insomnia subtypes. Sleep 25:630-640.
45. Lancel M (1999). Role of GABAA receptors in the regulation of sleep: initial sleep responses tot peripherally administered modulators and agonists. Sleep 22:33-42.
46. Lavie P, Katz N, Pillar G, Zinger Y (1998). Elevated awaking thresholds during sleep: characteristics of chronic war-related posttraumatic stress disorder patients. Biol Psychiatry 44:1060-1065.
47. Legros B, Bazil CW (2003). Effects of antiepileptic drugs on sleep architecture: a pilot study. Sleep Med 4:51-55.
48. Lerer B, Bleich A, Kotler M, Garb R, Hertzberg M, Levin B (1987). Posttraumatic stress disorder in Israeli combat veterans. Effect of phenelzine treatment. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44:976-981.
49. Leskin GA, Woodward SH, Young HE, Sheikh JI (2002). Effects of comorbid diagnoses on sleep disturbance in PTSD. J Psychiatr Res 36:449-452.
50. Lewis JD (2002). Mirtazapine for PTSD nightmares. Am J Psychiatry 159:1948-1949.
51. Leyba CM, Wampler TP (1998). Risperidone in PTSD. Psychiatr Serv 49:245-246.
52. Makela JP, Hilakivi IT (1986). Effect of alpha-adrenoceptor blockade on sleep and wakefulness in the rat. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 24:613-616.
53. Mallick BN, Singh S, Pal D (2005). Role of alpha and beta adrenoceptors in locus coeruleus stimulation-induced reduction in rapid eye movement sleep in freely moving rats. Behav Brain Res 158:9-21.
54. Manber R, Rush AJ, Thase ME, Amow B, Klein D, Trivedi MH, et al. (2003). The effects of psychotherapy, nefazodone, and their combination on subjective assessment of disturbed sleep in chronic depression. Sleep 26:130-136.
55. Mellman TA, David D, Kulick-Bell R, Hebding J, Nolan B (1995). Sleep disturbance and its relationship to psychiatric morbidity after Hurricane Andrew. Am J Psychiatry 152:1659-1663.
56. Mellman TA, Kulick-Bell R, Ashlock LE, Nolan B (1995b). Sleep events among veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Am J Psychiatry 152:110-115.
57. Mellman TA, Kumar A, Kulick-Bell R, Kumar M, Nolan B (1995c). Nocturnal/daytime urine noradrenergic measures and sleep in combat-related PTSD. Biol Psychiatry 38:174-179.
58. Mellman TA, Nolan B, Hebding J, Kulick-Bell R, Dominguez R (1997). A polysomnographic comparison of veterans with combat-related PTSD, depressed men, and non-ill controls. Sleep 20:46-51.
59. Mellman TA, Byers PM, Augenstein JS (1998). Pilot evaluation of hypnotic medication during acute traumatic stress response. J Trauma Stress 11:563-569.
60. Mellman TA, David D, Barza L (1999). Nefazodone treatment and dream reports in chronic PTSD. Depress Anxiety 9:146-148.
61. Mellman TA, Knorr BR, Pigeon WR, Leiter JC, Akay M (2004). Heart rate variability during sleep and the early development of posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 55:953-956.
62. Meltzer-Brody S, Connor KM, Churchill E, Davidson JR (2000). Symptom-specific effects of fluoxetine in post-traumatic stress disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 15:227-231.
63. Miyazaki S, Uchida S, Mukai J, Nishihara K (2004). Clonidine effects on all-night human sleep: opposite action of low- and medium-dose clonidine on human NREM-REM sleep proportion. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 58:138-144.
64. Neal LA, Shapland W, Fox C (1997). An open trial of moclobemine in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 12:231-237.
65. Neylan TC, Marmar CR, Metzler TJ, Weiss DS, Zatzick DF, Delucchi KL, et al. (1998). Sleep disturbances in the Vietnam generation: findings from a nationally representative sample of male Vietnam veterans. Am J Psychiatry 155:929-933.
66. Neylan TC, Metzler TJ, Schoenfeld FB, Weiss DS, Lenoci M, Best SR, et al. (2001). Fluvoxamine and sleep disturbances in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Trauma Stress 14:461-467.
67. Neylan TC, Lenoci M, Maglione ML, Rosenlicht NZ, Leykin Y, Metzler TJ, et al. (2003a). The effect of nefazodone on subjective and objective sleep quality in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 64:445-450.
68. Neylan TC, Lenoci M, Maglione ML, Rosenlicht NZ, Metzler TJ, Otte C, et al. (2003b). Delta sleep response to metyrapone in post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 28:1666-1676.
69. Nierenberg AA, Adler LA, Peselow E, Zornberg G and Rosenthal M (1994). Trazodone for antidepressant-associated insomnia. Am J Psychiatry 151:1069-1072.
70. Ohayon MM, Shapiro CM (2000). Sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in the general population. Compr Psychiatry 41:469-478.
71. Ouyang M, Hellman K, Abel T, Thomas SA (2004). Adrenergic signaling plays a critical role in the maintenance of waking and in the regulation of REM sleep. J Neurophysiol 92:2071-2082.
72. Parrino L, Terzano MG (1996). Polysomnographic effects of hypnotic drugs. A review. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 126:1-16.
73. Peskind ER, Bonner LT, Hoff DJ, Raskind MA (2003). Prazosin reduces trauma-related nightmares in older men with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 16:165-171.
74. Rao U, Lin KM, Schramm P, Poland RE (2004). REM sleep and cortisol responses to scopolamine during depression and remission in women. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 7:265-274.
75. Raskind MA, Dobie DJ, Kanter ED, Petrie EC, Thompson CE, Peskind ER (2000). The alpha1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin ameliorates combat trauma nightmares in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a report of 4 cases. J Clin Psychiatry 61:129-133.
76. Raskind MA, Thompson C, Petric EC, Dobie DJ, Rein RJ, Hoff DJ, et al. (2002). Prazosin reduces nightmares in combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 63:565-568.
77. Raskind MA, Peskind ER, Kanter ED, Petrie EC, Radant A, Thompson CE, et al. (2003). Reduction of nightmares and other PTSD symptoms in combat veterans by prazosin: a placebo-controlled study. Am J Psychiatry 160:371-373.
78. Rijnders RJ, Laman DM, Van Duijn H (2000). Cyproheptadine for posttraumatic nightmares. Am J Psychiatry 57:1524-1525.
79. Robert R, Blakeney PE, Villarreal C, Rosenberg L, Meyer WJ III (1999). Imipramine treatment in pediatric burn patients with symptoms of acute stress disorder: a pilot study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38:873-882.
80. Robert S, Hamner MB, Kose S, Ulmer HG, Deitsch SE, Lorberbaum JP (2005). Quetiapine improves sleep disturbances in combat veterans with PTSD: sleep data from a prospective, open-label study. J Clin Psychopharmacol 25:387-388.
81. Ross RJ, Ball WA, Dinges DF, Kribbs NB, Morrison AR, Silver SM, et al. (1994). Rapid eye movement sleep disturbance in posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 35:195-202.
82. Ross RJ, Ball WA, Sanford LD, Morrison AR, Dinges DF, Silver SM, et al. (1999). Rapid eye movement sleep changes during the adaptation night in combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 45:938-941.
83. Rush AJ, Armitage R, Gillin JC, Yonkers KA, Winokur A, Moldofsky H, et al. (1998). Comparative effects of nefazodone and fluoxetine on sleep in outpatients with major depressive disorder. Biol Psychiatry 44:3-14.
84. Schreuder BJ, van Egmond M, Kleijn WC and Visser AT (1998). Daily reports of posttraumatic nightmares and anxiety dreams in Dutch war victims. J Anxiety Disord 12:511-524.
85. Schreuder BJ, Kleijn WC, Rooijmans HG (2000). Nocturnal re-experiencing more than 40 years after war trauma. J Trauma Stress 13:453-463.
86. Sharpley AL, Solomon RA, Fernando AI, da Roza Davis JM, Cowen PJ (1990). Dose-related effects of selective 5-HT2 receptor antagonists on slow wave sleep in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 101:568-569.
87. Sharpley AL, Elliott JM, Attenburrow MJ, Cowen PJ (1994). Slow wave sleep in humans: role of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. Neuropharmacology 33:467-471.
88. Sharpley AL, Vassallo CM, Cowen PJ (2000). Olanzapine increases slow-wave sleep: evidence for blockade of central 5-HT(2C) receptors in vivo. Biol Psychiatry 47:468-470.
89. Sharpley AL, Attenburrow ME, Hafizi S, Cowen PJ (2005). Olanzapine increases slow wave sleep and sleep continuity in SSRI-resistant depressed patients. J Clin Psychiatry 66:450-454.
90. Silva C, McFarlane J, Soeken K, Parker B, Reel S (1997). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in abused women in a primary care setting. J Womens Health 6:543-552.
91. Southwick SM, Bremner JD, Rasmusson A, Morgan CA III, Arnsten A, Charney DS (1999). Role of norepinephrine in the pathophysiology and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 46:1192-1204.
92. Stein MB, Kline NA, Matloff JL (2002). Adjunctive olanzapine for SSRI-resistant combat-related PTSD: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Am J Psychiatry 159:1777-1779.
93. Stein DJ, Davidson J, Seedat S, Beebe K (2003). Paroxetine in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: pooled analysis of placebo-controlled studies. Expert Opin Pharmacother 4:1829-1838.
94. Taylor FB (2003). Tiagabine for posttraumatic stress disorder: a case series of 7 women. J Clin Psychiatry 64:1421-1425.
95. Taylor F, Raskind MA (2002). The alpha1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin improves sleep and nightmares in civilian trauma posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol 22:82-85.
96. Vaiva G, Thomas P, Ducrocq F, Fontaine M, Boss V, Devos P, et al. (2004). Low posttrauma GABA plasma levels as a predictive factor in the development of acute posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 55:250-254.
97. Vermetten E, Bremner JD (2002). Circuits and systems in stress. I. Applications to neurobiology and treatment in posttraumatic stress disorder. Depress Anxiety 16:14-38.
98. Warner MD, Dorn MR, Peabody CA (2001). Survey on the usefulness of trazodone in patients with PTSD with insomnia or nightmares. Pharmacopsychiatry 34:128-131.
99. Wells BG, Chu CC, Johnson R, Nasdahl C, Ayubi MA, Sewell E, et al. (1991). Buspirone in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Pharmacotherapy 11:340-343.
100. Wilson S, Argyropoulos S (2005). Antidepressants and sleep: a qualitative review of the literature. Drugs 65:927-947.
101. Winokur A, DeMartinis NA III, McNally DP, Gary EM, Cormier JL, Gary KA (2003). Comparative effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine on sleep physiology measures in patients with major depression and insomnia. J Clin Psychiatry 64:1224-1229.
102. Woodward SH, Friedman MJ, Bliwise DL (1996). Sleep and depression in combat-related PTSD inpatients. Biol Psychiatry 39:182-192.
103. Woodward SH, Arsenault NJ, Murray C, Bliwise DL (2000a). Laboratory sleep correlates of nightmare complaint in PTSD inpatients. Biol Psychiatry 48:1081-1087.
104. Woodward SH, Murburg MM, Bliwise DL (2000b). PTSD-related hyperarousal assessed during sleep. Physiol Behav 70:197-203.
105. Woodward SH, Leskin GA, Sheikh JI (2002). Movement during sleep: associations with posttraumatic stress disorder, nightmares, and comorbid panic disorder. Sleep 25:681-688.
106. Zisook S, Chentsova-Dutton YE, Smith-Vaniz A, Kline NA, Ellenor GL, Kodsi AB, et al. (2000). Nefazodone in patients with treatment-refractory posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 61:203-208.