Posttraumatic sleep disturbances in veterans: A pilot randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and imagery rehearsal therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with sleep disturbances including insomnia and nightmares. This study compared cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) with CBT-I combined with imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) for nightmares to evaluate if the combined treatment led to greater reductions in trauma-related sleep disturbances in Australian veterans. METHODS: Veterans with diagnosed PTSD, high insomnia symptom severity, and nightmares (N = 31) were randomized to eight group CBT-I sessions or eight group CBT-I + IRT sessions. Self-reported sleep, nightmare, and psychological measures (primary outcome: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and objective actigraphy data were collected; the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk on treatment outcomes was also examined. RESULTS: No treatment condition effects were detected for the combined treatment compared to CBT-I alone, and no moderating effect of OSA risk was detected. On average, participants from both groups improved on various self-report measures over time (baseline to 3 months posttreatment). Despite the improvements, mean scores for sleep-specific measures remained indicative of poor sleep quality. There were also no significant differences between the groups on the actigraphy indices. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that there is potential to optimize both treatments for veterans with trauma-related sleep disturbances.

Veteran families with complex needs: a qualitative study of the veterans' support system.

BACKGROUND: Families with complex needs face significant challenges accessing and navigating health and social services. For veteran families, these challenges are exacerbated by interactions between military and civilian systems of care, and the density of the veterans' non-profit sector. This qualitative study was designed to gather rich, detailed information on complex needs in veteran families; and explore service providers' and families' experiences of accessing and navigating the veterans' support system. METHODS: The study comprised participant background questionnaires (n = 34), focus groups with frontline service providers (n = 18), and one-on-one interviews with veteran families (n = 16) in Australia. The semi-structured focus groups and interviews were designed to gather rich, detailed information on four study topics: (i) health and wellbeing needs in veteran families; (ii) service-access barriers and facilitators; (iii) unmet needs and gaps in service provision; and (iv) practical solutions for improving service delivery. The study recruited participants who could best address the focus on veteran families with complex needs. The questionnaire data was used to describe relevant characteristics of the participant sample. The focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns of shared meaning in the qualitative data. RESULTS: Both service providers and families found the veterans' support system difficult to access and navigate. System fragmentation was perceived to impede care coordination, and delay access to holistic care for veteran families with complex needs. The medico-legal aspects of compensation and rehabilitation processes were perceived to harm veteran identity, and undermine health and wellbeing outcomes. Recovery-oriented practice was viewed as a way to promote veteran independence and self-management. Participants expressed a strong preference for family-centred care that was informed by an understanding of military lifestyle and culture. CONCLUSION: The health and wellbeing needs of veteran families intensify during the transition from full-time military service to civilian environments, and service- or reintegration-related difficulties may emerge (or persist) for a significant period of time thereafter. Veteran families with complex needs are unduly burdened by care coordination demands. There is a pressing need for high-quality implementation studies that evaluate initiatives for integrating fragmented systems of care.

Physical comorbidities of post-traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of physical comorbidities in Australian Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is higher than in trauma-exposed veterans without PTSD. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional analysis of the health status (based on self-reported and objective clinical assessments) of 298 Australian Vietnam War veterans enrolled by the Gallipoli Medical Research Institute (Brisbane) during February 2014 - July 2015, of whom 108 were confirmed as having had PTSD and 106 served as trauma-exposed control participants.Main outcomes and measures: Diagnostic psychiatric interview and psychological assessments determined PTSD status, trauma exposure, and comorbid psychological symptoms. Demographic data, and medical and sleep history were collected; comprehensive clinical examination, electrocardiography, spirometry, liver transient elastography, and selected pathology assessments and diagnostic imaging were performed. Outcomes associated with PTSD were identified; regression analysis excluded the effects of potentially confounding demographic and risk factors and comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety. RESULTS: The mean total number of comorbidities was higher among those with PTSD (17.7; SD, 6.1) than in trauma-exposed controls (14.1; SD, 5.2; P < 0.001). For 24 of 171 assessed clinical outcomes, morbidity was greater in the PTSD group, including for conditions of the gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, sleep disorders, and laboratory pathology measures. In regression analyses including demographic factors, PTSD remained positively associated with 17 adverse outcomes; after adjusting for the severity of depressive symptoms, it remained significantly associated with ten. CONCLUSION: PTSD in Australian Vietnam veterans is associated with comorbidities in several organ systems, independent of trauma exposure. A comprehensive approach to the health care of veterans with PTSD is needed.

Detailed Polysomnography in Australian Vietnam Veterans With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Recent results from the PTSD Initiative, a cross-sectional cohort study in Australian Vietnam veterans (VV) with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), demonstrated an increased prevalence of self-reported sleep disturbances in those with PTSD. This study aimed to objectively assess the prevalence of sleep disorders in the same cohort using detailed polysomnography (PSG). METHODS: Participants from the PTSD Initiative were recruited to undergo PSG. PTSD status was determined with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Subjective sleep information was attained via structured questionnaires. Data from single night PSG were compared between trauma-exposed VV with and without PTSD. RESULTS: A total of 74 trauma-exposed male VV (40 with PTSD) underwent PSG (prospective n = 59, retrospective n = 15). All PSG parameters were similar between groups. No difference was seen in PSG-diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS). VV with PTSD showed a trend toward increased duration of sleep with oxygen saturations < 90% (10% versus 1.8%; P = .07). VV with PTSD reported increased sleep onset latency (42.4 versus 13.3 minutes; P < .01); were less likely to report sleeping well (32.5% versus 67.5%; P < .01); had higher OSA risk using Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) (70% versus 38.2%; P < .01); and had higher rates of partner-reported limb movements (56.4% versus 17.6%; P < .01). No association between PSG-diagnosed OSA and PTSD severity was evident. CONCLUSIONS: In Australian VV with and without PTSD, no difference was seen across all PSG parameters including the diagnosis and severity of OSA and PLMS. However, VV with PTSD demonstrated an increased perception of sleep disturbances.

Accuracy and safety of (99m)Tc-labeled anti-D-dimer (DI-80B3) Fab' fragments (ThromboView®) in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis: a phase II study.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains challenging despite current diagnostic algorithms. (99m)Tc-labelled DI-DD3B6/22-80B3 Fab´ fragments ((99m)Tc-DI-80B3, ThromboView®) is a novel diagnostic test that uses a radiolabelled humanized monoclonal antibody fragment specific for the D-dimer region of cross-linked fibrin to detect DVT. This test has an anatomic component to locate DVT and a functional component to differentiate acute (newly formed) thrombus from inactive (old) thrombus. METHODS: In a multi-centre prospective cohort trial we investigated the diagnostic accuracy and safety of (99m)Tc-DI-80B3 in consecutive patients with suspected DVT who had the diagnosis confirmed or excluded by venography. RESULTS: We enrolled 94 patients with suspected DVT of whom 12 did not have (99m)Tc-DI-80B3 imaging, leaving 82 patients for the safety analysis. Of these patients, there were 16 with non-evaluable imaging (11 venography, 7 (99m)Tc-DI-80B3, both in two patients) leaving 66 patients for the accuracy analysis. (99m)Tc-DI-80B3 imaging was well-tolerated: 2 patients developed urticaria; none developed serious adverse events. For proximal DVT, the sensitivity (84.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 62.4-94.5) and specificity (97.6%; CI: 83.3-99.4) were highest when the combined 0.25-hour and 3-hour (99m)Tc-DI-80B3 images were used. The accuracy was lower for distal DVT, irrespective of the images used. There were insufficient patients to comment on the accuracy of (99m)Tc-DI-80B3 imaging for suspected recurrent DVT. CONCLUSIONS: (99m)Tc-DI-80B3 (ThromboView®) is a novel diagnostic modality for patients with suspected DVT with a promising accuracy and safety profile that justifies additional clinical development in diagnostic accuracy and clinical management studies.