Sleep spindle dynamics suggest over-consolidation in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Devastating and persisting traumatic memories are a central symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep problems are highly co-occurrent with PTSD and intertwined with its etiology. Notably, sleep hosts memory consolidation processes, supported by sleep spindles (11-16 Hz). Here we assess the hypothesis that intrusive memory symptoms in PTSD may arise from excessive memory consolidation, reflected in exaggerated spindling. We use a newly developed spindle detection method, entailing minimal assumptions regarding spindle phenotype, to assess spindle activity in PTSD patients and traumatized controls. Our results show increased spindle activity in PTSD, which positively correlates with daytime intrusive memory symptoms. Together, these findings provide a putative mechanism through which the profound sleep disturbance in PTSD may contribute to memory problems. Due to its uniform and unbiased approach, the new, minimal assumption spindle analysis seems a promising tool to detect aberrant spindling in psychiatric disorders.

Trauma-focused treatments for refugee children: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of KIDNET versus EMDR therapy versus a waitlist control group (KIEM).

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugees is reportedly higher in comparison to the general population. Refugee children specifically are often coping with trauma and loss and are at risk for mental health difficulties. With staggering numbers of people seeking refuge around the world and 50% being 18 years or younger, research examining the effects of trauma-focused therapies for refugee children with PTSD is highly needed. Both Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and the child version of Narrative Exposure Therapy (KIDNET) have been used for refugees, although these treatment methods have not been systematically compared. The aim of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of EMDR and KIDNET, compared to a waitlist control group and with each other, offered to refugee children. METHODS: A randomized controlled three-arm trial has been designed. The primary outcome is PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity assessed with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Children DSM5 (CAPS-CA-5) at baseline (T1), 1 month post-treatment, or after 8 weeks of waiting (T2) and 3 months follow-up (T3). Additionally, instruments to assess posttraumatic stress symptoms, behavioral and emotional problems, and quality of life perception in children aged 8-18 are conducted at T1, T2, and T3. DISCUSSION: This is the first RCT that examines the effectiveness of EMDR and KIDNET in refugee children aged 8-18 years specifically, compared to a waitlist control group intended to reduce PTSD diagnosis and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms and comorbid complaints in a growing and challenging population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register NL40769 . Retrospectively registered on June 16, 2021.

Treating patients with severe mental illness with narrative exposure therapy for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with severe mental illness (SMI) negatively affect illness course. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is effective in vulnerable patient groups, but its efficacy and applicability has not been studied in out-patients with SMI. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and applicability of NET in SMI on changes in PTSD, dissociation, SMI symptoms, care needs, quality of life, global functioning and care consumption. METHOD: The study had a single-group, pre-test-post-test, repeated-measures design and was registered in The Netherlands National Trial Register (identifier TR571). Primary outcomes were assessed at pre-treatment (T0), 1 month post-treatment (T1) and 7 months' follow-up (T2), with a structured interview for PTSD and dissociation screening. Secondary outcomes followed routinely SMI measurements and medical data. Mixed models were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The majority of the 23 participants was female (82%). Mean age was 49.9 years (s.d. 9.8) and mean PTSD duration was 24.1 years (s.d. 14.5). Mean PTSD severity decreased from 37.9 at T0 to 31.9 at T1 (-6.0 difference, 95%CI -10.0 to -2.0), and decreased further to 24.5 at T2 (-13.4 difference, 95%CI -17.4 to -9.4). Dissociation, SMI symptoms, duration of contacts, and medication decreased; global functioning increased; and quality of life and perceived needs did not change. Eleven participants were in remission for PTSD at T2, of which five were also in remission for major depression. CONCLUSIONS: NET appeared efficacious and applicable to out-patients with SMI and PTSD, and was well tolerated.

Severity profiles of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms in treatment seeking traumatized refugees.

BACKGROUND: Western countries are facing many challenges hosting refugees from several regions in the world. Many of them are severely traumatized and suffer from a variety of mental health symptoms, which complicates the identification and treatment of refugees at risk. This study examined subgroups based on a broad range of psychopathology, and several predictors, including trauma characteristics and gender. METHODS: Participants were 1147 treatment-seeking, traumatized refugees. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify different subgroups based on levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors of subgroup membership. RESULTS: Three distinct subgroups were identified, reflecting Moderate (10.2%), Severe (43.0%), and Highly Severe (45.9%) symptom severity levels, respectively. Symptom severity of all psychopathology dimensions was distributed equally between the subgroups. Participants in the Severe and Highly Severe Symptoms subgroups reported more types of traumatic events compared to the Moderate subgroup. In particular, traumatic events associated with human right abuses, lack of human needs and separation from others predicted subgroup membership, as did gender. LIMITATIONS: The results are confined to treatment-seeking, traumatized refugee populations. CONCLUSIONS: Distinguishable symptom severity profiles of PTSD, depression, anxiety and somatic complaints could be identified in this large treatment-seeking refugee population, without qualitative differences in symptom distribution. Instead of focusing on specific mental disorders, classification based on overall symptom severity is of interest in severely traumatized patients. This knowledge will help to identify individuals at risk and to enhance existing treatment programs for specific patient groups.

The effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy: a review, meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis.

Background: Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is a short-term psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that has been investigated in various contexts among traumatized refugees and other trauma survivors. Sustained treatment results have been reported, but the methodological quality of the trials needs a more thorough examination. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of NET for survivors of trauma, using a quality assessment, an updated meta-analysis, and a meta-regression analysis. Method: Following a systematic literature selection, the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed; Non-controlled and controlled effect sizes (Hedges' g) were estimated using a random effects model. Predictor analyses were performed. Non-controlled effect sizes for PTSD and depression included symptom change at post-treatment and follow-up time-points. Controlled effect sizes included post-treatment comparisons of NET with non-active and active comparators: both trauma-focused (TF) and non-trauma-focused (non-TF) interventions. Results: The selected studies showed high external validity; methodological quality was equivalent to other guideline-supported TF interventions. In 16 randomized controlled trials, involving 947 participants, large non-controlled effect sizes were found for PTSD symptoms, at post-treatment (g = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [0.87; 1.50]) and follow-up (g = 1.37 [0.96; 1.77]). For depression symptoms, medium non-controlled effect sizes were found, at post-treatment (g = 0.47 [0.23; 0.71]) and follow-up (g = 0.60 [0.26; 0.94]). Post-treatment, NET outperformed non-active comparators and non-TF active comparators for PTSD, but not the combined active comparators. For depression, NET only outperformed non-active comparators. Advancing age predicted better treatment results for PTSD and depression symptoms; a history of migration predicted smaller treatment results for depression symptoms. Conclusions:The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that patients and providers may expect sustained treatment results from NET. Controlled comparisons with other guideline-supported TF interventions are not yet available.

Antecedentes: la terapia de exposición narrativa (NET en sus siglas en inglés) es un tratamiento psicológico a corto plazo para el trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) que ha sido investigado en diversos contextos entre refugiados traumatizados y otros sobrevivientes de traumas. Se han informado resultados sostenidos del tratamiento, pero la calidad metodológica de los ensayos requiere un examen más exhaustivo.Objetivo: evaluar la efectividad de la NET para sobrevivientes de trauma, mediante una evaluación de la calidad, un metanálisis actualizado y un análisis de metarregresión.Método: después de una selección sistemática de la literatura, se evaluó la calidad metodológica de los estudios incluidos; se estimaron los tamaños del efecto no controlados y controlados (g de Hedges), utilizando un modelo de efectos aleatorios. Se realizaron análisis predictivos. Los tamaños del efecto no controlados para el TEPT y la depresión incluyeron el cambio de los síntomas en los puntos de tiempo del postratamiento y del seguimiento. Los tamaños de los efectos controlados incluyeron las comparaciones postratamiento de la NET con comparadores no activos y activos: ambas intervenciones centradas en el trauma (TF en su sigla en inglés) y no enfocadas en el trauma (no TF).Resultados: la calidad metodológica de los estudios incluidos varió de incierto a alto riesgo de sesgo. En los 16 ensayos controlados aleatorios (ECA), con 947 participantes, se encontraron tamaños grandes de efectos no controlados para los síntomas del TEPT, en el postratamiento (g = 1.18, intervalo de confianza del 95% [0.87; 1.50]), y el seguimiento (g = 1.37, [0.96; 1.77]). Para los síntomas de depresión, se encontraron tamaños medios de efectos no controlados: en el postratamiento (g = 0.47, [0.23; 0.71]) y el seguimiento (g = 0.60, [0.26; 0.94]). En los postratamientos, la NET superó a los comparadores no activos y los comparadores no TF activos para el TEPT, pero no a los comparadores activos combinados. Para la depresión, la NET solo superó a los comparadores no activos. La edad avanzada predijo mejores resultados de tratamiento para el TEPT y los síntomas de depresión; un historial de migración predijo resultados de tratamiento más pequeños para los síntomas de depresión.Conclusiones: los hallazgos de este metanálisis sugieren que los pacientes y los proveedores pueden esperar resultados sostenidos del tratamiento de la NET. Hasta ahora, no se dispone de comparaciones controladas con otras intervenciones apoyadas por la guía de intervenciones de TF.

Symptom severity in PTSD and comorbid psychopathology: A latent profile analysis among traumatized veterans.

Individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show remarkably different symptom presentations. Identification of diagnostic profiles of PTSD may contribute to knowledge about treatment modifications to enhance treatment effectiveness. The present study aimed to identify symptom severity classes among 236 Dutch veterans based on a broad range of psychopathology outcomes, including PTSD, using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). Moreover, multinomial logistic regression was used to test whether class membership could be predicted by the number and characteristics of traumatic event types, coping and personality dimensions. LPA identified three classes of individuals, defined as average, severe, and highly severe symptom severity classes, respectively. No qualitative differences in the symptom dimensions emerged between classes. Veterans with higher amounts of traumatic experiences and specifically with regard to lack of basic human needs, as well as those using more avoidant and problem-focused coping strategies and with more dysfunctional personality characteristics regarding neuroticism and agreeableness were significantly more often in the severe and/or highly severe symptom classes. In conclusion, general symptom severity was found to be an important diagnostic characteristic in this population. Integrated treatments targeting the broad spectrum of mental health problems may be of importance in treating patients that show low therapeutic recovery.

Development and Evaluation of the Dutch Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5).

Background: In 2013, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, the golden standard to assess PTSD, was adapted to the DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Objective: This project aimed to develop a clinically relevant Dutch translation of the CAPS-5 and to investigate its psychometric properties. Method: We conducted a stepped translation including Delphi rounds with a crowd of 44 Dutch psychotrauma experts and five senior psychotrauma experts. Using partial crowd-translations, two professional translations and the official Dutch translation of the DSM-5, each senior expert aggregated one independent translation. Consensus was reached plenary. After back-translation, comparison with the original CAPS-5 and field testing, a last round with the senior experts resulted in the final version. After implementation clinicians conducted CAPS-5 interviews with 669 trauma-exposed individuals referred for specialized diagnostic assessment. Reliability of the Dutch CAPS-5 was investigated through internal consistency and interrater reliability analyses, and construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: CAPS-5 total severity score showed high internal consistency (α = .90) and interrater reliability (ICC = .98, 95% CI: .94-.99). CAPS-5 diagnosis showed modest interrater reliability (kappa = .59, 95% CI: .20-.98). CFA with alternative PTSD models revealed adequate support for the DSM-5 four-factor model, but a six-factor (Anhedonia) model fit the data best. Conclusions: The Dutch CAPS-5 is a carefully translated instrument with adequate psychometric properties. Current results add to the growing support for more refined (six and seven) factor models for DSM-5 PTSD indicating that the validity and clinical implications of these models should be objective of further research.

Antecedentes: En el año 2013 la Escala para el TEPT Aplicada por el Clínico, la prueba estándar para evaluar el TEPT, fue adaptada al DSM-5 (CAPS-5).Objetivo: Este proyecto apuntó a desarrollar una traducción holandesa clínicamente relevante de la Escala para el TEPT Aplicada por el Clínico adaptada al DSM-5 (CAPS-5) e investigar sus propiedades psicométricas.Método: Realizamos una traducción escalonada, incluyendo fases del método Delphi con un grupo de 44 expertos holandeses en psicotrauma y cinco expertos de larga trayectoria en psicotrauma. Utilizando traducciones en grupo parciales, dos traducciones profesionales y la traducción holandesa oficial del DSM-5, cada experto experimentado sumó una traducción independiente. Se alcanzó un conceso pleno. Después de traducciones inversas, comparación con el CAPS-5 original y ensayo de campo, una última fase con los expertos experimentados resultó en la versión definitiva. Tras la implementación, los clínicos realizaron entrevistas aplicando CAPS-5 a 669 individuos expuestos a trauma referidos por evaluación diagnóstica especializada. Se investigó la fiabilidad del CAPS-5 holandés a través de consistencia interna y análisis de confiabilidad, y se estableció su validez a través de análisis factorial de tipo confirmatorio.Resultados: El puntaje de severidad total del CAPS-5 mostró alta consistencia interna (α = .90) y confiabilidad (ICC = .98, 95% IC: .94 - .99). El diagnóstico de CAPS-5 mostró una modesta confiabilidad (kappa = .59, 95% CI: .20 - .98). El análisis factorial de tipo confirmatorio con modelos alternativos de TEPT reveló un respaldo adecuado para el modelo de 4 factores del DSM-5, pero un modelo de 6 factores (Anhedonia) se ajusta mejor a los datos.Conclusiones: El CAPS-5 holandés es un instrumento cuidadosamente traducido con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas. Nuestros resultados se suman al respaldo creciente para modelos de factores (seis y siete) más refinados para el TEPT según el DSM-5, indicando que la validez y las implicaciones clínicas de estos modelos deberían ser objeto de futuras investigaciones.

Reduced Freezing in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients while Watching Affective Pictures.

Besides fight and flight responses, animals and humans may respond to threat with freezing, a response characterized by bradycardia and physical immobility. Risk assessment is proposed to be enhanced during freezing to promote optimal decision making. Indeed, healthy participants showed freezing-like responses to threat cues. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients are characterized by hypervigilance and increased threat responsiveness. We propose that threat responses will be characterized by decreased freezing in PTSD, eliminating possibilities for rejecting cognitive distortions, such as harm expectancy, and thereby contributing to the maintenance of the disorder. However, freezing responses have hardly been investigated in PTSD. Using a stabilometric platform to assess body sway as an indicator of freezing-like behavior, we examined whether veterans with PTSD would show diminished freezing responses to unpleasant versus neutral and pleasant pictures. Fourteen PTSD patients and 14 healthy matched controls watched the pictures, while body sway and heart rate (HR) were continuously assessed. Replicating previous findings, healthy controls showed decreased body sway and HR in response to unpleasant pictures, indicative of freezing-like behavior. In contrast, this response pattern was not observed in PTSD patients. The results may indicate a reduced freezing response in PTSD. As reduced freezing may hinder appropriate risk assessment, it may be an important factor in the maintenance of PTSD. Future research might clarify whether impaired freezing is a PTSD-specific or a transdiagnostic symptom, being present in threat-related disorders.

Tonic immobility differentiates stress responses in PTSD.

BACKGROUND: Tonic immobility (TI) is a state of physical immobility associated with extreme stress and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is unknown whether TI is associated with a distinct actual stress response, i.e., objective immobility measured by a stabilometric platform. This study made a first step in exploring this as well as differences in body sway responses between PTSD patients and healthy controls. We hypothesized that PTSD would be related to increased body sway under stress, whereas TI would be related to decreased body sway under stress. METHODS: Eye closure was selected as a PTSD-relevant stress induction procedure. Body sway and heart rate (HR) were measured in 12 PTSD patients and 12 healthy controls in four conditions: (1) maintaining a stable stance with eyes open, (2) with eyes closed, (3) during a mental arithmetic task with eyes open, and (4) with eyes closed. RESULTS: As predicted, PTSD patients showed increased body sway from eyes open to eyes closed compared to controls and this effect was eliminated by executing the arithmetic task. Most importantly, retrospective self-reported TI was associated with lower body sway increases in PTSD and higher body sway decreases in controls from eyes-open to eyes-closed conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that eye closure has a different effect on PTSD patients than controls and that high self-reported TI might indicate a distinct stress response pattern, i.e., a proneness for immobility. It may be relevant to take such individual differences in stress-response into account in PTSD treatment.

Narrative exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder associated with repeated interpersonal trauma in patients with severe mental illness: a mixed methods design.

BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, most patients with severe mental illness (SMI) receive flexible assertive community treatment (FACT) provided by multidisciplinary community mental health teams. SMI patients with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are sometimes offered evidence-based trauma-focused treatment like eye movement desensitization reprocessing or prolonged exposure. There is a large amount of evidence for the effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy (NET) within various vulnerable patient groups with repeated interpersonal trauma. Some FACT-teams provide NET for patients with comorbid PTSD, which is promising, but has not been specifically studied in SMI patients. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim is to evaluate NET in SMI patients with comorbid PTSD associated with repeated interpersonal trauma to get insight into whether (1) PTSD and dissociative symptoms changes and (2) changes occur in the present SMI symptoms, care needs, quality of life, global functioning, and care consumption. The second aim is to gain insight into patients' experiences with NET and to identify influencing factors on treatment results. METHODS: This study will have a mixed methods convergent design consisting of quantitative repeated measures and qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews based on Grounded Theory. The study population will include adult SMI outpatients (n=25) with comorbid PTSD and receiving NET. The quantitative study parameters will be existence and severity of PTSD, dissociative, and SMI symptoms; care needs; quality of life; global functioning; and care consumption. In a longitudinal analysis, outcomes will be analyzed using mixed models to estimate the difference in means between baseline and repeated measurements. The qualitative study parameters will be experiences with NET and perceived factors for success or failure. Integration of quantitative and qualitative results will be focused on interpreting how qualitative results enhance the understanding of quantitative outcomes. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide more insight into influencing factors for clinical changes in this population.

Narrative exposure therapy: an evidence-based treatment for multiple and complex trauma.

Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is a recently developed, short-term treatment for patients with a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of multiple trauma. NET can be applied very successfully in patients with complex trauma complaints (Jongedijk, 2014; Schauer, Neuner, & Elbert, 2011). An important feature of NET is that trauma processing is never an isolated event but is always embedded in the context of a traumatic event and in the life history as a whole. At the start, the lifeline is laid. The lifeline is made up of a rope, with flowers (happy events), stones (traumatic events), sometimes candles (grief), or recently also sticks for aggressive acts (NET for offenders; see Stenmark, Cuneyt Guzey, Elbert, & Holen, 2014). These symbols are laid down along the rope, in chronological order. Subsequently, in the subsequent therapy sessions the lifeline is processed in chronological order, giving attention to all the important events a person has experienced in his or her life, both the adverse as well as the pleasurable ones. The narration ends with a written testimony. To date, there is good evidence NET is effective in the treatment of PTSD patients, with support from 18 RCTs (N=950). For culturally diverse populations, NET is recommended as the most evidence-based trauma treatment, besides culturally adapted CBT. NET has been investigated in different populations in Africa, Europe, and Asia. In Asia, research has been carried out in Sri Lanka as well as in China. In China, NET was conducted and investigated with survivors of the Sichuan earthquake (Zang, Hunt, & Cox, 2013, 2014). NET is understandable, even appealing and also supportive for patients with multiple trauma. In this presentation, the treatment principles and the practice of NET will be explained.