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Camaioni M, Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Calzolari R, De Bartolo M, Mangiaruga A, Couyoumdjian A, De Gennaro L. How COVID-19 Affected Sleep Talking Episodes, Sleep and Dreams? Brain Sci 2024; 14:486. [PMID: 38790464 PMCID: PMC11119596 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of stress and anxiety and induced changes in sleep quality, dream activity, and parasomnia episodes. It has been shown that stressful factors and/or bad sleep habits can affect parasomnia behaviors. However, investigations on how COVID-19 has affected sleep, dreams, and episode frequency in parasomnias are rare. The current study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on a specific parasomnia characterized by speech production (sleep talking, ST). METHODS We selected 27 participants with frequent ST episodes (STs) during the pandemic and compared them with 27 participants with frequent STs from a previous study conducted during a pre-pandemic period. All participants performed home monitoring through sleep logs and recorded their nocturnal STs for one week. RESULTS We observed a higher frequency of STs in the pandemic group. Moreover, STs were related to the emotional intensity of dreams, independent of the pandemic condition. The pandemic was associated with lower bizarreness of dreams in the pandemic group. There were no differences in sleep variables between the two groups. CONCLUSION Overall, these results suggest a stressful effect of COVID-19 on the frequency of STs. Both the pandemic and the frequency of STs affect qualitative characteristics of dreams in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Camaioni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Valentina Alfonsi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Rossana Calzolari
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Mina De Bartolo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Anastasia Mangiaruga
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Alessandro Couyoumdjian
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.S.); (V.A.); (M.G.); (M.D.B.); (A.C.)
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy
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2
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Di Laudo F, Mainieri G, Provini F. Parasomnias During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sleep Med Clin 2024; 19:177-187. [PMID: 38368064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2023.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
COVID-19 had a massive impact on sleep, resulting in overall increase of sleep disturbances. During lockdown many factors contributed to sleep disturbances, in particular changes in sleep-wake habits and stress. This article will describe the frequency and features of the principal parasomnias and the impact of the pandemic and the government restriction measures on sleep. Among different pathophysiological hypotheses, we will discuss the role of stress, considered as an expression of the allostatic load. Finally, during the pandemic, parasomnias were mainly investigated by questionnaires, with controversial results; video-polysomnographic studies are crucial to obtain a definitive diagnosis, even in critical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felice Di Laudo
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, Pad. 11, Bologna 40138, Italy
| | - Greta Mainieri
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, Pad. 11, Bologna 40138, Italy; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Via Altura, 3, Bologna 40139, Italy
| | - Federica Provini
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, Pad. 11, Bologna 40138, Italy; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Via Altura, 3, Bologna 40139, Italy.
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3
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Bolstad CJ, Holzinger B, Scarpelli S, De Gennaro L, Yordanova J, Koumanova S, Mota-Rolim S, Benedict C, Bjorvatn B, Chan NY, Chung F, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Inoue Y, Korman M, Koscec Bjelajac A, Landtblom AM, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Partinen M, Penzel T, Plazzi G, Reis C, Ross B, Wing YK, Nadorff MR. Nightmare frequency is a risk factor for suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Sleep Res 2024:e14165. [PMID: 38366677 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The association between nightmare frequency (NMF) and suicidal ideation (SI) is well known, yet the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this relation is inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate changes in NMF, SI, and their association during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in 16 countries using a harmonised questionnaire. The sample included 9328 individuals (4848 women; age M[SD] = 46.85 [17.75] years), and 17.60% reported previous COVID-19. Overall, SI was significantly 2% lower during the pandemic vs. before, and this was consistent across genders and ages. Most countries/regions demonstrated decreases in SI during this pandemic, with Austria (-9.57%), Sweden (-6.18%), and Bulgaria (-5.14%) exhibiting significant declines in SI, but Italy (1.45%) and Portugal (2.45%) demonstrated non-significant increases. Suicidal ideation was more common in participants with long-COVID (21.10%) vs. short-COVID (12.40%), though SI did not vary by COVID-19 history. Nightmare frequency increased by 4.50% during the pandemic and was significantly higher in those with previous COVID-19 (14.50% vs. 10.70%), during infection (23.00% vs. 8.10%), and in those with long-COVID (18.00% vs. 8.50%). The relation between NMF and SI was not significantly stronger during the pandemic than prior (rs = 0.18 vs. 0.14; z = 2.80). Frequent nightmares during the pandemic increased the likelihood of reporting SI (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.20-2.05), while frequent dream recall during the pandemic served a protective effect (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.59-0.94). These findings have important implications for identifying those at risk of suicide and may offer a potential pathway for suicide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney J Bolstad
- Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute of Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Postgraduate Sleep Coaching, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Juliana Yordanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Silvia Koumanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Sérgio Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Christian Benedict
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep and Wake Disorders Centre, Department of Neurology, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, University of Montpellier, INSERM Institute Neuroscience Montpellier (INM), Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sir Jules Thorn Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute and Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yuichi Inoue
- Department of Somnology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maria Korman
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | | | - Anne-Marie Landtblom
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Orton Orthopaedics Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- Laval University, Department of Psychology and Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cátia Reis
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Católica Research Centre for Psychological - Family and Social Welbeing, Lisbon, Portugal
- João Lobo Antunes Institute of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Biserka Ross
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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Punj M, Schwartz M, Morris A, Cheung J, Munipalli B. A Survey of Sleep Quality From a Post-COVID Clinic. J Prim Care Community Health 2024; 15:21501319241233205. [PMID: 38369723 PMCID: PMC10878031 DOI: 10.1177/21501319241233205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence of sleep disturbance among patients evaluated at a clinic for patients afflicted with Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). METHODS Sleep disturbance was assessed with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Sleep Disturbance (PROMIS-SD) framework among adult patients of the PASC clinic. RESULTS Among 312 patients, the mean age was 46.2 years, and 70.2% were women. About 41.0% of patients had no sleep disturbance; sleep disturbance was mild to moderate in 51.3% and severe in 7.7%. PROMIS-SD score was negatively correlated with the time from the initial positive COVID-19 test to the initial consultation in the PASC clinic (Pearson r = -.094; r2 = .0088). CONCLUSIONS The PROMIS-Sleep Disturbance framework can serve as a tool to assess the burden of sleep disturbances in PASC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mantavya Punj
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Michael Schwartz
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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5
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Dvořáková T, Měrková R, Bušková J. Sleep disorders after COVID-19 in Czech population: Post-lockdown national online survey. Sleep Med X 2023; 6:100087. [PMID: 37811367 PMCID: PMC10551886 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleepx.2023.100087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to determine the frequency, type, and correlates of a broad spectrum of sleep disorders in adults with COVID-19 up to 32 months after infection. Methods We conducted a national online survey (Jun 2021-Dec 2022), gathering information on COVID-19 diagnosis, acute disease course, and the subsequent development of sleep disorders from 1507 respondents (mean age 44.5 ± 13.1 years, 64.1% women). Results 81.3% (1223) reported at least one sleep difficulty that either worsened or first appeared with COVID-19. Females reported a higher number of symptoms (2.03 ± 1.44 versus 1.72 ± 1.43 in men, p < 0.0001). Most common were insomnia symptoms (59.4%), followed by night sweats (38.4%), hypersomnolence (33.3%), vivid dreams or nightmares (26.4%), restless leg syndrome (RLS) (22.8%), and sleep-related breathing disorders (11.1%). All symptoms were associated with a more severe acute disease. A mild decreasing trend in the persistence of sleep symptoms with a longer latency since infection was observed, with 66.7% reporting at least half of their symptoms present at 3-5 months after acute infection, compared to 64.9% at 6-8 months, and 62.4% at 9-11 months (p = 0.0427). However, among those after 12 or more months, over half of the symptoms persisted in 69.5%. The frequency of vivid dreams and nightmares increased in association with COVID-19 in 32.9% (p < 0.001). 9.4% (141) reported new-onset or increased parasomnic manifestations after the infection. Conclusions Our research shows that sleep disturbances are a common and persistent manifestation of COVID-19 that affects a large proportion of the population and deserves careful monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Dvořáková
- Sleep and Chronobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radana Měrková
- Sleep and Chronobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Bušková
- Sleep and Chronobiology Research Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Camaioni M, Gorgoni M, Albano A, Musetti A, Quattropani MC, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L, Franceschini C. Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic. Nat Sci Sleep 2023; 15:435-447. [PMID: 37313311 PMCID: PMC10259600 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s410732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose COVID-19 pandemic waves have strongly influenced individuals' behaviors and mental health. Here, we analyzed longitudinal data collected in the Spring 2020 and 2021 from a large Italian sample with the aim of assessing changes in dream features between the first and third wave. Specifically, we evaluated the modifications of pandemic dream activity as a function of the general distress variations over time. Also, we detected the best explanatory variables of nightmare frequency and distress. Materials and Methods Participants previously involved in the web survey during the first wave of the pandemic were asked to complete a new online survey on sleep and dream features available in Spring 2021 (N=728). Subjects decreasing their level of psychological general distress in the third (T3) vs the first (T1) pandemic wave were defined as "Improved" (N=330). In contrast, participants with an unchanged or increased level of general distress were defined as "Not Improved" (N=398). Results Statistical comparisons revealed that dream recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid dream frequency, and emotional intensity show a reduction in T3 than T1. Moreover, the Improved group is characterized by lower nightmare rate and nightmare distress than Not Improved people. Our findings confirmed that beyond the trait-like variables (ie, age, sex), specific sleep-related measures are related to nightmare features. In particular, poor sleep hygiene was one of the best determinants of nightmare distress among Not Improved subjects. Conclusion Our findings revealed that people experienced an adaptation to the pandemic during the third wave. We also strengthen the notion that nightmares and their variations over time are strongly related to human well-being, suggesting that specific trait-like and sleep-related factors could modulate the relationship between mental health and nightmare features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Milena Camaioni
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Albano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Maria Catena Quattropani
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Margherita G, Caffieri A. An observatory on changes in dreaming during a pandemic: a living systematic review (part 1). J Sleep Res 2023; 32:e13742. [PMID: 36320190 PMCID: PMC9877779 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
A 'new' way of dreaming has emerged during the pandemic, enhancing the interest of psychological literature. Indeed, during the years of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many studies have investigated dream-related phenomena and dreaming functions. Considering the constant and rapid emergence of new results on this topic, the main aim of this study was to create an 'observatory' on the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on dreaming, by means of a living systematic review. The baseline results are presented, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines, to identify and discuss existing studies about dreams and dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic published until February 2022. Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and PubMed were used for the search strategy, yielding 71 eligible papers included in the review. Our results show: (a) a more intense oneiric activity during lockdown; (b) changes in dreaming components (especially dream-recall and nightmare frequency); (c) a particular dreaming scenario ('pandemic dreams'); (d) an alteration of the dreaming-waking-life continuum and a specific function of dreaming as emotional regulator. Findings suggest that monitoring changes in dreaming provides important information about psychological health and could also contribute to the debate on the difficulties of dreaming, as well as sleeping, in particular during and after a period of 'collective trauma'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Margherita
- Department of Humanistic StudiesUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
| | - Alessia Caffieri
- Department of Humanistic StudiesUniversity of Naples Federico IINaplesItaly
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Slonkova J, Chudy M, Togtokhjargal A, Tomaskova H, Vacovska H, Rytirova G, Dolezalova I. The effects of COVID-19 on sleep and general health of Czech patients with epilepsy. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13413. [PMID: 36816256 PMCID: PMC9918435 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives To assess the impact of COVID-19 illness and pandemic era on sleep, general health, health care, and social status in patients with epilepsy in the Czech Republic. Methods Our designed and approved questionnaire consisted of 23 questions. We focused on (1) patients' demographic and epidemiological data regarding COVID-19, (2) subjective assessment of sleep; (3) epilepsy, and (4) perception of general health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic from March 2020 to May 2021. We administered the questionnaires during outpatient visits or by phone calls in three major university Czech epilepsy centers (Ostrava, Brno, Pilsen). Results We enrolled 227 (100%) patients. The mean age (±SD) was 41.2 ± 14.82 years (min 18, max 86 years), and 138 (61%) were women. COVID-19 was confirmed using the PCR test method in 57 (25.1%) patients. In the pre-pandemic era, 62 (27.3%) patients reported sleep disturbances. Insomnia in 46 (74.2%) and excessive daytime sleepiness in 6 (9.7%) were the most mentioned sleep abnormalities. Nocturnal seizures predispose to sleep impairment (p = 0.014) and vivid dreams and nightmares (p = 0.033). COVID-19 infection significantly increased the risk of vivid dreams and nightmares in patients with diurnal seizures (p = 0.006). Sleep quality impairment and seizure frequency worsening [(p < 0.001) and (p = 0.001), respectively] were the most significant risk factors to perform general health deterioration regardless of having COVID-19 (p = 0.559). The most affected age group was 51+ years (p = 0.033). The three centers provided adequate outpatient care during the first year of the pandemic. The employment and social status of the patients remained unchanged (p = 0.074). Conclusions COVID- 19 infection significantly increased the occurrence of vivid dreams and nightmares in patients with diurnal seizures. Sleep quality deterioration and seizure frequency worsening significantly negatively impacted general health performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Slonkova
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 1790, 708 52 Ostrava- Poruba, Czech Republic
- Center of Clinical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Milos Chudy
- Center of Clinical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Ariunjargal Togtokhjargal
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 1790, 708 52 Ostrava- Poruba, Czech Republic
- Center of Clinical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Tomaskova
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Vacovska
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Pilsen, E. Benese 1128, Pilsen 3, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University in Prague, Husova 3, Pilsen 3, 306 05, Czech Republic
| | - Gisela Rytirova
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Pilsen, E. Benese 1128, Pilsen 3, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University in Prague, Husova 3, Pilsen 3, 306 05, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Dolezalova
- First Department of Neurology, St. Anne′s University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Bohunice, Czech Republic
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Schredl M, Remedios A, Marin-Dragu S, Sheikh S, Forbes A, Iyer RS, Orr M, Meier S. Dream Recall Frequency, Lucid Dream Frequency, and Personality During the Covid-19 Pandemic. IMAGINATION, COGNITION AND PERSONALITY 2022; 42:113-133. [PMID: 38603268 PMCID: PMC9149660 DOI: 10.1177/02762366221104214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Dream recall frequency and lucid dream frequency showed large inter-individual differences that are partly related to personality dimensions. However, as dream research is a small field, independent studies are necessary to build a solid empirical foundation. The present online survey included 1,537 participants (1150 women, 387 men) with a mean age of 35.1 ± 15.8 years. Whereas the relationship between openness to experience and dream recall frequency was in line with previous research - supporting the life-style hypothesis of dream recall, the associations between the Big Five personality factors and lucid dream frequency are less homogenous; for example, the negative relationship between neuroticism and lucid dream frequency. Even though the effect sizes of these associations are small, the findings can help in identifying links between waking and dreaming. Moreover, it was found that lucid dream frequency was related to Covid-19-related worries, whereas dream recall frequency was not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schredl
- Dept Sleep laboratory, Central
Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anellka Remedios
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Silvia Marin-Dragu
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sana Sheikh
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Alyssa Forbes
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Matt Orr
- Department of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sandra Meier
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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10
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Scarpelli S, Zagaria A, Ratti PL, Albano A, Fazio V, Musetti A, Varallo G, Castelnuovo G, Plazzi G, Franceschini C. Subjective sleep alterations in healthy subjects worldwide during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Sleep Med 2022; 100:89-102. [PMID: 36029756 PMCID: PMC9364714 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an update on sleep quality in different world areas and better characterize subjective sleep alterations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering gender distribution and specific pandemic-related parameters, we also intend to identify significant predictors of sleep problems. METHODS Six electronic databases were searched from December 2019 to November 2021 for studies investigating sleep during COVID-19 employing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep, the Insomnia Severity Index or the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Random-effects models were implemented to estimate the pooled raw means of subjective sleep alterations. Also, we considered the role of several pandemic-related parameters (i.e., days from the first COVID-19 case, government stringency index, new cases for a million people, new deaths for a million people) by means of meta-regression analyses. RESULTS A total of 139 studies were selected. The pooled mean of the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (PSQIgen) was 6.73 (95% CI, 6.61-6.85). The insomnia severity index score was reported from 50 studies with a pooled mean of 8.44 (95% CI, 7.53-9.26). Subgroup analyses confirmed that most subcategories had poor sleep quality and subclinical insomnia. Meta-regressions showed that PSQIgen was predicted by days from the first COVID-19 case and government restrictions with a negative slope and by female gender with a positive slope. The government stringency index was positively correlated with the direct subjective evaluation of sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS We found an overall impaired sleep and widespread subthreshold insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The female percentage seems to be the best predictor of impaired sleep quality, consistently to the available literature. Noteworthy, sleep alterations were inversely associated with governmental restrictions and decreased during the pandemic. Our results give a contribution to critically orienting further studies on sleep since COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Zagaria
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro-Luca Ratti
- Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Regional Hospital of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland and Al Centro del Sonno, Venice, Italy
| | - Antonio Albano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Fazio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giorgia Varallo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Italy.
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11
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Scarpelli S, De Santis A, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Morin CM, Espie C, Merikanto I, Chung F, Penzel T, Bjorvatn B, Dauvilliers Y, Holzinger B, Wing YK, Partinen M, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L. The role of sleep and dreams in long‐
COVID. J Sleep Res 2022; 32:e13789. [PMID: 36398720 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent investigations show that many people affected by SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) report persistent symptoms 2-3 months from the onset of the infection. Here, we report the Italian findings from the second International COVID-19 Sleep Study survey, aiming to investigate sleep and dream alterations in participants with post-acute symptoms, and identify the best determinants of these alterations among patients with long-COVID. Data from 383 participants who have had COVID-19 were collected through a web-survey (May-November 2021). Descriptive analyses were performed to outline the sociodemographic characteristics of long-COVID (N = 270, with at least two long-lasting symptoms) and short-COVID (N = 113, with none or one long-lasting symptom) participants. They were then compared concerning sleep and dream measures. We performed multiple linear regressions considering as dependent variables sleep and dream parameters discriminating the long-COVID group. Age, gender, work status, financial burden, COVID-19 severity and the level of care were significantly different between long-COVID and short-COVID subjects. The long-COVID group showed greater sleep alterations (sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, naps, insomnia, sleep apnea, nightmares) compared with the short-COVID group. We also found that the number of long-COVID symptoms, psychological factors and age were the best explanatory variables of sleep and oneiric alterations. Our findings highlight that sleep alterations are part of the clinical presentation of the long-COVID syndrome. Moreover, psychological status and the number of post-acute symptoms should be considered as state-like variables modulating the sleep problems in long-COVID individuals. Finally, according to previous investigations, oneiric alterations are confirmed as a reliable mental health index.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rome Italy
| | - Charles M. Morin
- Centre d'étude des troubles du sommeil, École de psychologie, Institut universitaire en santé mentale, Centre de recherche CERVO, Université Laval Quebec QC Canada
| | - Colin Espie
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Department of Public Health Solutions Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare Helsinki Finland
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine University Health Network, University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Interdisciplinary Sleep Medicine Center Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders Haukeland University Hospital Bergen Norway
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep‐Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui‐de‐Chauliac Hospital CHU Montpellier, INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM Montpellier France
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research Vienna Austria
- Medical University Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Yun K. Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare Helsinki Finland
- Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM) University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche Bologna Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rome Italy
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12
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We reviewed current evidence on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on sleep of different populations. RECENT FINDINGS Several studies demonstrated that sleep deprivation may cause immune system dysregulation, which deteriorates the course of COVID-19. The increased prevalence of sleep disorders among COVID-19 patients has been associated with more severe disease and worse clinical outcomes. Healthcare workers who were subjected to atypical workload and more nightshifts developed sleep disorders which associated with work-related errors and COVID-19 infection susceptibility. In general population, circadian misalignment and excessive stressors impaired sleep quality. Sleep dysfunction has been recorded due to the pandemic. It is essential to implement interventions in order to alleviate pandemic-related sleep disorders. Telemedicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sleep hygiene practices appear to be helpful. Psychotropic medication should be cautiously administered, while other pharmacological agents, such as melatonin, have shown promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Papagiouvanni
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Christos Vettas
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evdokia Sourla
- Respiratory Failure Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Athanasia Pataka
- Respiratory Failure Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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13
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Goldstein Ferber S, Shoval G, Zalsman G, Weller A. Does COVID-19 related symptomatology indicate a transdiagnostic neuropsychiatric disorder? - Multidisciplinary implications. World J Psychiatry 2022; 12:1004-1015. [PMID: 36158308 PMCID: PMC9476837 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i8.1004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical presentation that emerges from the extensive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mental health literature suggests high correlations among many conventional psychiatric diagnoses. Arguments against the use of multiple comorbidities for a single patient have been published long before the pandemic. Concurrently, diagnostic recommendations for use of transdiagnostic considerations for improved treatment have been also published in recent years. In this review, we pose the question of whether a transdiagnostic mental health disease, including psychiatric and neuropsychiatric symptomology, has emerged since the onset of the pandemic. There are many attempts to identify a syndrome related to the pandemic, but none of the validated scales is able to capture the entire psychiatric and neuropsychiatric clinical presentation in infected and non-infected individuals. These scales also only marginally touch the issue of etiology and prevalence. We suggest a working hypothesis termed Complex Stress Reaction Syndrome (CSRS) representing a global psychiatric reaction to the pandemic situation in the general population (Type A) and a neuropsychiatric reaction in infected individuals (Type B) which relates to neurocognitive and psychiatric features which are part (excluding systemic and metabolic dysfunctions) of the syndrome termed in the literature as long COVID. We base our propositions on multidisciplinary scientific data regarding mental health during the global pandemic situation and the effects of viral infection reviewed from Google Scholar and PubMed between February 1, 2022 and March 10, 2022. Search in-clusion criteria were "mental health", "COVID-19" and "Long COVID", English language and human studies only. We suggest that this more comprehensive way of understanding COVID-19 complex mental health reactions may promote better prevention and treatment and serve to guide implementation of recommended administrative regulations that were recently published by the World Psychiatric Association. This review may serve as a call for an international investigation of our working hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Goldstein Ferber
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5317000, Israel
| | - Gal Shoval
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Department of Neuroscience, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Gil Zalsman
- Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Aron Weller
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5317000, Israel
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14
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Romigi A, Economou NT, Maestri M. Editorial: Effects of COVID-19 on sleep and circadian rhythms: Searching for evidence of reciprocal interactions. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:952305. [PMID: 35992912 PMCID: PMC9389394 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.952305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Romigi
- IRCCS Neuromed Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Sleep Medicine Center, Pozzilli, Italy
- *Correspondence: Andrea Romigi
| | | | - Michelangelo Maestri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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15
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Dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 138:104710. [PMID: 35643121 PMCID: PMC9132492 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
According to several influential models, dreams can be affected by state- and trait-like factors, sleep features, and diurnal experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic globally affected daily habits, emotional experiences, and sleep. Previous studies suggested an influence of collective traumatic events on dreaming. Starting from these premises, several studies assessed the effect of the pandemic on dreams. This paper aims to review findings concerning the oneiric activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. We report pandemic-related changes in dreams and nightmares, and we consider the possible factors associated with dreaming. Moreover, we provide results about changes in the oneiric activity in different phases of the pandemic. The reviewed findings suggest a pandemic-related enhancement of dream and nightmare frequency, emotional intensity, and distressing contents, modulated by modifications in restrictive measures and associated with diurnal experiences, emotional status, and sleep pattern. We highlight several methodological issues and a large heterogeneity in the present literature, limiting results’ generalizability. However, we provide possible interpretations of the most consistent findings in light of the main theoretical frameworks about dreaming.
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16
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Meaklim H, Burge M, Le F, Bains SK, Saunders W, Ghosh S, Junge MF, Varma P, Rehm IC, Jackson ML. Strange themes in pandemic dreams: Insomnia was associated with more negative, anxious and death-related dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Sleep Res 2022; 32:e13655. [PMID: 35699296 PMCID: PMC9350044 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Dreaming and insomnia are important markers of distress in times of crisis. Here, we present a longitudinal, mixed-methods study examining changes in dreaming between individuals with and without insomnia symptoms and their relationship to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A global survey examining insomnia symptoms, dreams and mental health was launched in April 2020 and followed participants over 12 months. Of 2240 participants, 1009 (45%) reported dream changes at baseline. A higher proportion of participants with new-onset insomnia reported dream changes (55%) than those with pre-existing insomnia (45%) or good sleepers (36%). Overall, thematic analysis identified key dream change themes of increased dream activity, with participants dreaming vividly, in high-definition, and with a strong negative charge. Themes around survival, adjusting to pandemic life, meaning-making and poor sleep quality were also noted. Linguistic Inquiry Word Count showed that individuals with insomnia used more negative words to describe their dream changes than good sleepers. Specifically, the new-onset insomnia group used more anxious and death-related words than those who slept well. Notably, all groups experienced a significant reduction in dream activity by 3-month follow-up. Lastly, dream changes were associated with worse mental health symptoms over time, and this effect was more pronounced in individuals with insomnia. Our results highlight that insomnia symptoms, especially new-onset insomnia, are associated with more negative dream changes during collective stressful events, potentially compounding daytime distress and mental health symptoms over time. During times of crisis, dreaming and insomnia may reveal an important target for mental health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Meaklim
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Malisa Burge
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Flora Le
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Sukjhit K. Bains
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - William Saunders
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Stephen Ghosh
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Moira F. Junge
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia,The Sleep Health FoundationBlacktownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Prerna Varma
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
| | - Imogen C. Rehm
- College of Health and BiomedicineVictoria UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Melinda L. Jackson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMonashVictoriaAustralia
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17
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Abstract
The pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had a huge impact on public mental health. This was also reflected in dreams. Not only did people start to remember more dreams, but dream content changed as themes like sickness, confinement, and-in the English-speaking world-even bugs began to dominate. This also led to an increase in nightmare frequency. There are various factors that contributed to this change in the dream landscape. Some people have started to sleep more and hereby spend more time in REM sleep, which is known to increase dream recall and further lead to bizarre and vivid dreams. On the other hand, stress and poor mental health had an impact on sleep, and sleep quality thus dropped in many individuals. Poor sleep quality can also lead to an increase in dream recall. Dreams are known to regulate mood, so the rise in dreams and the change in dream content could also reflect a reaction to the overall rise in stress and decline in mental health. Recent studies have shown that as the pandemic progresses, further changes in mental health, dream recall, and dream content arise, but data are still scarce. Further research could help understand the impact the pandemic still has on mental health and dreams, and how this impact is changing over the course of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severin Ableidinger
- Institut für Bewusstseins- und Traumforschung, Canongasse 13/1, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franziska Nierwetberg
- Institut für Bewusstseins- und Traumforschung, Canongasse 13/1, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institut für Bewusstseins- und Traumforschung, Canongasse 13/1, 1180 Vienna, Austria
- Medizinisches Schlafcoaching, Postgraduate Medizinische Universität Wien, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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18
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Liu Y, Partinen E, Chan NY, Dauvilliers Y, Inoue Y, De Gennaro L, Plazzi G, Bolstad CJ, Nadorff MR, Merikanto I, Bjorvatn B, Han F, Zhang B, Cunha AS, Mota‐Rolim S, Léger D, Matsui K, Espie CA, Chung F, Morin CM, Sieminski M, Thomas P, Holzinger B, Partinen M, Wing YK. Dream-enactment behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international COVID-19 sleep study. J Sleep Res 2022; 32:e13613. [PMID: 35474255 PMCID: PMC9115143 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
There has been increasing concern about the long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as evidenced by anecdotal case reports of acute-onset parkinsonism and the polysomnographic feature of increased rapid eye movement sleep electromyographic activity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of dream-enactment behaviours, a hallmark of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, which is a prodrome of α-synucleinopathy. This online survey was conducted between May and August 2020 in 15 countries/regions targeting adult participants (aged ≥18 years) from the general population with a harmonised structured questionnaire on sleep patterns and disorders, COVID-19 diagnosis and symptoms. We assessed dream-enactment behaviours using the Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder Single-Question Screen with an additional question on their frequency. Among 26,539 respondents, 21,870 (82.2%) answered all items that were analysed in this study (mean [SD] age 41.6 [15.8] years; female sex 65.5%). The weighted prevalence of lifetime and weekly dream-enactment behaviours was 19.4% and 3.1% and were found to be 1.8- and 2.9-times higher in COVID-19-positive cases, respectively. Both lifetime and weekly dream-enactment behaviours were associated with young age, male sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, higher physical activity level, nightmares, COVID-19 diagnosis, olfactory impairment, obstructive sleep apnea symptoms, mood, and post-traumatic stress disorder features. Among COVID-19-positive cases, weekly dream-enactment behaviours were positively associated with the severity of COVID-19. Dream-enactment behaviours are common among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and further increase among patients with COVID-19. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential neurodegenerative effect of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Liu
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongSpecial Administrative Region (SAR)China
| | - Eemil Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, ClinicumUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongSpecial Administrative Region (SAR)China
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep‐Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui‐de‐Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INM, INSERMUniversity of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | | | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, SapienzaUniversity of RomeRomeItaly,IRCCS Fondazione Santa LuciaRomeItaly
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di BolognaBolognaItaly,Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural SciencesUniversity of Modena and Reggio‐EmiliaModenaItaly
| | - Courtney J. Bolstad
- Department of PsychologyMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA
| | - Michael R. Nadorff
- Department of PsychologyMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMississippiUSA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Department of Public Health SolutionsFinnish Institute for Health and WelfareHelsinkiFinland
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Norway and Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep DisordersHaukeland University Hospital, University of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Fang Han
- The Sleep CenterPeking University People's HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Ana Suely Cunha
- Department of Production EngineeringFederal University of Rio Grande do NorteNatalBrazil
| | - Sérgio Mota‐Rolim
- Brain Institute, Physiology and Behavior Department, and Onofre Lopes University HospitalFederal University of Rio Grande do NorteNatalBrazil
| | - Damien Léger
- APHP, VIFASOM, Hôtel Dieu, Centre du Sommeil et de la VigilanceUniversité de ParisParisFrance
| | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center HospitalNational Center of Neurology and PsychiatryKodairaJapan
| | - Colin A. Espie
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, University Health NetworkUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Charles M. Morin
- Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, École de psychologieUniversité LavalQuebec CityQuebecCanada
| | - Mariusz Sieminski
- Department of Emergency MedicineMedical University of GdanskGdanskPoland
| | - Penzel Thomas
- Sleep Medicine CenterCharite Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Dream and Consciousness ResearchMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, ClinicumUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of MedicineThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongSpecial Administrative Region (SAR)China
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19
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, De Gennaro L. What about dreams? State of the art and open questions. J Sleep Res 2022; 31:e13609. [PMID: 35417930 PMCID: PMC9539486 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have tried to identify the neurobiological bases of dream experiences, nevertheless some questions are still at the centre of the debate. Here, we summarise the main open issues concerning the neuroscientific study of dreaming. After overcoming the rapid eye movement (REM) ‐ non‐REM (NREM) sleep dichotomy, investigations have focussed on the specific functional or structural brain features predicting dream experience. On the one hand, some results underlined that specific trait‐like factors are associated with higher dream recall frequency. On the other hand, the electrophysiological milieu preceding dream report upon awakening is a crucial state‐like factor influencing the subsequent recall. Furthermore, dreaming is strictly related to waking experiences. Based on the continuity hypothesis, some findings reveal that dreaming could be modulated through visual, olfactory, or somatosensory stimulations. Also, it should be considered that the indirect access to dreaming remains an intrinsic limitation. Recent findings have revealed a greater concordance between parasomnia‐like events and dream contents. This means that parasomnia episodes might be an expression of the ongoing mental sleep activity and could represent a viable direct access to dream experience. Finally, we provide a picture on nightmares and emphasise the possible role of oneiric activity in psychotherapy. Overall, further efforts in dream science are needed (a) to develop a uniform protocol to study dream experience, (b) to introduce and integrate advanced techniques to better understand whether dreaming can be manipulated, (c) to clarify the relationship between parasomnia events and dreaming, and (d) to determine the clinical valence of dreams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Body and Action Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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20
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The Oneiric Activity during and after the COVID-19 Total Lockdown in Italy: A Longitudinal Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19073857. [PMID: 35409540 PMCID: PMC8997831 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19073857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic affected oneiric activity. However, only a few studies have assessed the longitudinal changes in dream phenomenology during different phases of the pandemic, often focused on a limited number of dream variables. The aim of the present study was to provide an exhaustive assessment of dream features during total lockdown (TL) and a post-lockdown (PL) period characterized by eased restrictive measures in Italy. We performed a longitudinal study using a web-based survey to collect demographic, COVID-19 related, clinical, sleep, and dream data at TL and PL. Our final sample included 108 participants. The high frequency of poor sleep quality, anxiety, and depressive symptoms observed during TL remained stable at PL, while sleep latency (t = −4.09; p < 0.001) and PTSD-related disruptive nocturnal behaviors (t = −5.68; p < 0.001) exhibited a reduction at PL. A PL decrease in time spent with digital media was observed (t = −2.77; p = 0.007). We found a strong PL reduction in dream frequency (t = −5.49; p < 0.001), emotional load (t = −2.71; p = 0.008), vividness (t = −4.90; p < 0.001), bizarreness (t = −4.05; p < 0.001), length (t = −4.67; p < 0.001), and lucid dream frequency (t = −2.40; p = 0.018). Fear was the most frequently reported emotion in dreams at TL (26.9%) and PL (22.2%). Only the frequency of specific lockdown-related dream contents exhibited a reduction at PL. These findings highlight that the end of the home confinement had a strong impact on the oneiric activity, in the direction of reduced dream frequency, intensity, and lockdown-related contents. The co-occurrence of such changes with a decline in nocturnal PTSD-related symptoms, sleep latency, and time with digital media suggests an influence of post-traumatic stress levels, lifestyle modifications, and sleep pattern on dream changes during different phases of the pandemic. The stable prevalence of fear in dreams and the large frequency of poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and anxiety are probably related to the persistence of many negative consequences of the pandemic. Overall, these results are consistent with the continuity hypothesis of dreams.
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21
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Scarpelli S, Nadorff MR, Bjorvatn B, Chung F, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Inoue Y, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Penzel T, Sieminski M, Fang H, Macêdo T, Mota-Rolim SA, Leger D, Plazzi G, Chan NY, Partinen M, Bolstad CJ, Holzinger B, De Gennaro L. Nightmares in People with COVID-19: Did Coronavirus Infect Our Dreams? Nat Sci Sleep 2022; 14:93-108. [PMID: 35115852 PMCID: PMC8800372 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s344299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A growing number of studies have demonstrated that the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected sleep and dream activity in healthy people. To date, no investigation has examined dream activity specifically in COVID-19 patients. METHODS As part of the International COVID-19 Sleep Study (ICOSS), we compared 544 COVID-19 participants with 544 matched-controls. A within-subjects comparison between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods computed separately for controls and COVID-19 participants were performed on dream recall and nightmare frequency (DRF; NF). Also, non-parametric comparisons between controls and COVID-19 participants were carried out. Further, we compared psychological measures between the groups collected during pandemic. Ordinal logistic regression to detect the best predictors of NF was performed. RESULTS We found that people reported greater dream activity during the pandemic. Comparisons between controls and COVID-19 participants revealed a) no difference between groups concerning DRF in the pre-pandemic period and during the pandemic; b) no difference between groups concerning nightmare frequency in the pre-pandemic period; and c) COVID-19 participants reported significantly higher NF than controls during pandemic (p = 0.003). Additionally, we showed that a) anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD) symptom scores were higher in COVID-19 participants than controls; and b) quality of life and health as well as wellbeing (WHO-5) scores were significantly higher in controls than COVID-19 participants. Finally, ordinal logistic regression indicates that DRF (p < 0.001), PTSD (p < 0.001), anxiety (p = 0.018), insomnia (p = 0.039), COVID-19 severity (p = 0.014), sleep duration (p = 0.003) and age (p = 0.001) predicted NF. DISCUSSION Our work shows strong associations between increased nightmares in those reporting having had COVID-19. This suggests that the more that people were affected by COVID-19, the greater the impact upon dream activity and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen and Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- École de Psychologie, Centre d’étude des troubles du sommeil, Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mariusz Sieminski
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Han Fang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tainá Macêdo
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Sérgio A Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Physiology and Behavior Department, and Onofre Lopes University Hospital - Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Damien Leger
- Université de Paris, APHP, Hôtel-Dieu, Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance, Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Regions, People’s Republic of China
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, and Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University Vienna, Postgraduate Master Program Medical Sleep Coaching, ZK-Schlafcoaching, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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22
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Barbeau K, Lafrenière A, Ben Massaoud H, Campbell E, De Koninck J. Dissociated Effects of Age and Recent Troubling Experiences on Nightmares, Threats and Negative Emotions in Dreams. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:770380. [PMID: 35308880 PMCID: PMC8927059 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.770380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have highlighted associations between adverse life events and the dysphoric character of dream experiences. This degree of continuity between waking-life and dream content seems partly attributed to the emotional and personal attachment linked to the incorporated waking experiences. Numerous changes in the processing of emotion-related stimuli are also reported across different human developmental stages. Therefore, we were interested in testing whether age would modulate the impact of recent troubling experiences on dream characteristics. Two hundred sixty participants, evenly distributed in five developmental stages, matched for gender and their exposure to a troubling experience, were selected from a large sample collected for a previous normative study of dreams of Canadians. Participants completed a dream questionnaire from which independent judges subsequently scored the dreams. We observed no interactions between the experience of troubling events and age. However, individuals who experienced a recent troubling event reported a higher frequency of nightmares and their dreams were more emotionally negative. Participants who experienced a moderately severe troubling event were also more likely to experience a dream whose maximal threat severity was of moderate intensity. Adolescents and young adults had dreams with a higher level of oneiric threats compared to older adults (>40 years old). Young adults also reported a higher frequency of nightmares compared to older adults. Our findings have implications for modern dream theories. They also suggest that dysphoric dreams might serve as potential proxies of mental health status and developmental stages. Future studies are now needed to explore the implications of these findings for psychological adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kheana Barbeau
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Emma Campbell
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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23
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Holzinger B, Nierwetberg F, Chung F, Bolstad CJ, Bjorvatn B, Chan NY, Dauvilliers Y, Espie CA, Han F, Inoue Y, Leger D, Macêdo T, Matsui K, Merikanto I, Morin CM, Mota-Rolim SA, Partinen M, Plazzi G, Penzel T, Sieminski M, Wing YK, Scarpelli S, Nadorff MR, De Gennaro L. Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Traumatized Us Collectively? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Sleep Factors via Traumatization: A Multinational Survey. Nat Sci Sleep 2022; 14:1469-1483. [PMID: 36052103 PMCID: PMC9426865 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s368147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic affects mental health and sleep, resulting in frequent nightmares. Therefore, identifying factors associated with nightmare frequency is important, as it can indicate mental health issues. The study aimed to investigate increases in nightmare frequency comparing the pre-pandemic and pandemic period, and identify its risk factors. Further, the mediating role of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms between the pandemic and nightmares is explored. PATIENTS AND METHODS For this cross-sectional survey data were obtained via self-rating online survey (ICOSS: details in Partinen et al, 2021), which was open to anyone older than 18 years. The final volunteer sample consisted of 15,292 participants, divided according to their nightmare frequency (high: ≥1-2 nights/week; low: <1-2 nights/week). A total of 9100 participants were excluded if answers on variables of interest were missing or receiving rewards for participation. Chi-square tests identified changes of nightmare frequency. Predictors of high nightmare frequency were assessed using logistic regression and presented as Odds Ratios. Post-hoc mediation models were used to investigate the role of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). RESULTS The mean age was 41.63 (SD=16.55) with 64.05% females. High nightmare frequency increased significantly from 13.24% to 22.35% during the pandemic. Factors associated with it included self-reported PTSS (OR=2.11), other mental disorders and various sleep disorders or problems. Financial burden due to the pandemic, confinement, having had COVID-19, and work situation during the pandemic were associated with nightmare frequency, those relations were partly mediated through PTSS. CONCLUSION Our results display the pandemic influence on nightmare frequency, which in turn connects to multiple mental health and sleep factors. These relations were partly mediated through PTSS. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have caused traumatization of a substantial proportion of society. Health care workers should consider nightmares in their screening routines, as it might indicate PTSS and/or other mental and sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria.,Medical University Vienna, Postgraduate Master ULG Sleep Coaching, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Bjørn Bjorvatn
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen and Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ngan Yin Chan
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Colin A Espie
- Sir Jules Thorn Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fang Han
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Damien Leger
- Université de Paris, APHP, Hôtel-Dieu, Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance, Paris, France
| | - Tainá Macêdo
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Kentaro Matsui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Charles M Morin
- École de Psychologie, Centre d'étude des troubles du sommeil, Centre de recherche CERVO/Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Sérgio A Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Physiology and Behavior Department, and Onofre Lopes University Hospital - Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, and Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Thomas Penzel
- Sleep Medicine Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mariusz Sieminski
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael R Nadorff
- Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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24
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Merikanto I, Dauvilliers Y, Chung F, Holzinger B, De Gennaro L, Wing YK, Korman M, Partinen M. Disturbances in sleep, circadian rhythms and daytime functioning in relation to coronavirus infection and Long-COVID - A multinational ICOSS study. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13542. [PMID: 34964184 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
This protocol paper describes the second survey produced by the International Covid Sleep Study (ICOSS) group with the aim to examine the associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and sleep, sleepiness, and circadian problems as potential predisposing factors for more severe COVID-19 disease profile and for development of Long-COVID in the general population. The survey consists of 47 questions on sleep, daytime sleepiness, circadian rhythm, health, mental wellbeing, life habits, and socioeconomic situation before and during the pandemic, and conditional questions to those reporting having had coronavirus infection, being vaccinated, or suffering from particular sleep symptoms or sleep disorders. Surveys will be administered online between May and November 2021 in Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and USA. Data collected by the survey will give valuable information on the open questions regarding COVID-19 disease risk factors, symptomatology and evolution of Long-COVID, and on other long-term consequences related to the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Orton Orthopaedics Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Frances Chung
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brigitte Holzinger
- Institute for Consciousness and Dream Research, Vienna, Austria.,ZK-Schlafcoaching, Medical University Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | | | - Yun Kwok Wing
- Li Chiu Kong Family Sleep Assessment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Maria Korman
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Markku Partinen
- Helsinki Sleep Clinic, Terveystalo Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Neurosciences, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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25
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Scarpelli S, Alfonsi V, Gorgoni M, Musetti A, Filosa M, Quattropani MC, Lenzo V, Vegni E, Borghi L, Margherita G, Freda MF, Saita E, Cattivelli R, Castelnuovo G, Manari T, Plazzi G, De Gennaro L, Franceschini C. Dreams and Nightmares during the First and Second Wave of the COVID-19 Infection: A Longitudinal Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111375. [PMID: 34827374 PMCID: PMC8615577 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent literature shows that the Coronovirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has provoked significant changes in dreaming. The current study intends to provide an update about dream variable changes during the second wave of COVID-19. A total of 611 participants completed a web survey from December 2020 to January 2021. Statistical comparisons showed that subjects had lower dream-recall frequency, nightmare frequency, lucid-dream frequency, emotional intensity, and nightmare distress during the second than the first wave of the pandemic. Dreams had a higher negative tone during the second than first wave. We revealed significant differences concerning post-traumatic growth, sleep-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and sleep measures between groups obtained as a function of the changes in the oneiric frequency between the first and second waves. We also found significant correlations between qualitative/emotional dream features and COVID-19-related factors (job change, forced quarantine, having COVID-19 infected relatives/friends, or asking for mental health help). Overall, we found that the second wave affected fewer quantitative features of dream activity and there was less emotional intensity. Moreover, we confirmed the relationship between nightmares and the high risk of PTSD when subjects were grouped as a function of the increasing/decreasing frequency. Finally, our findings are partly coherent with the continuity hypothesis between oneiric and waking experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Scarpelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Valentina Alfonsi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
| | - Maurizio Gorgoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
| | - Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy; (A.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Maria Filosa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (M.F.); (C.F.)
| | - Maria C. Quattropani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy;
| | - Vittorio Lenzo
- Department of Social and Educational Sciences of the Mediterranean Area, “Dante Alighieri” University for Foreigners of Reggio Calabria, 89125 Reggio Calabria, Italy;
| | - Elena Vegni
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20146 Milan, Italy; (E.V.); (L.B.)
| | - Lidia Borghi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20146 Milan, Italy; (E.V.); (L.B.)
| | - Giorgia Margherita
- Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, 80138 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (M.F.F.)
| | - Maria Francesca Freda
- Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, 80138 Naples, Italy; (G.M.); (M.F.F.)
| | - Emanuela Saita
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (R.C.); (G.C.)
| | - Roberto Cattivelli
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (R.C.); (G.C.)
- Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, 28824 Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (R.C.); (G.C.)
- Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, 28824 Verbania, Italy
| | - Tommaso Manari
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy; (A.M.); (T.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Plazzi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi De Gennaro
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.A.); (M.G.); (L.D.G.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Franceschini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (M.F.); (C.F.)
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