AUTHOR=Denis Dan , Bottary Ryan , Cunningham Tony J. , Zeng Shengzi , Daffre Carolina , Oliver Kaitlyn L. , Moore Kylie , Gazecki Samuel , Kram Mendelsohn Augustus , Martinez Uriel , Gannon Karen , Lasko Natasha B. , Pace-Schott Edward F. 

TITLE=Sleep Power Spectral Density and Spindles in PTSD and Their Relationship to Symptom Severity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.766647

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.766647

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p>Sleep disturbances are common in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although which sleep microarchitectural characteristics reliably classify those with and without PTSD remains equivocal. Here, we investigated sleep microarchitectural differences (i.e., spectral power, spindle activity) in trauma-exposed individuals that met (<italic>n</italic> = 45) or did not meet (<italic>n</italic> = 52) criteria for PTSD and how these differences relate to post-traumatic and related psychopathological symptoms. Using ecologically-relevant home sleep polysomnography recordings, we show that individuals with PTSD exhibit decreased beta spectral power during NREM sleep and increased fast sleep spindle peak frequencies. Contrary to prior reports, spectral power in the beta frequency range (20.31–29.88 Hz) was associated with reduced PTSD symptoms, reduced depression, anxiety and stress and greater subjective ability to regulate emotions. Increased fast frequency spindle activity was not associated with individual differences in psychopathology. Our findings may suggest an adaptive role for beta power during sleep in individuals exposed to a trauma, potentially conferring resilience. Further, we add to a growing body of evidence that spindle activity may be an important biomarker for studying PTSD pathophysiology.</p>