| Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep is an essential feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that may lead to deficits in neurocognitive performance. In the literature, PTSD has been associated with cognitive deficits to include verbal memory, attention, and executive function. Likewise inadequate sleep has been linked to an impaired sustained attention and working memory. The deleterious effects of sleep loss and PTSD can have an impact on quality of life (QOL) and everyday functioning. To better understand the underlying mechanisms associated with PTSD, sleep, and cognitive performance, the present study examined the direct and interactive effects of PTSD symptoms and the quantity and continuity of sleep and rapid eye movment (REM) sleep (which appears to have special significance to PTSD) on cognitive performance. In addition, this study examined the relationship between PTSD, sleep, cognition, and QOL. Fifty-three males and females between the ages of 18-35 residing in a mid-Atlantic region of the United States completed objective measures of PTSD, sleep, and cognition, and subjective measures of sleep and QOL. Results showed that individuals with current PTSD (CPTSD) reported poorer environmental and overall QOL compared to individuals without PTSD. Results also indicated that the direct effect of CPTSD symptoms significantly predicted omission errors (R2 = .14, p = .011). Results further showed that the interaction of CPTSD symptoms and sleep duration (R 2 = .27, p = .029), the interaction of CPTSD symptoms and REM latency (R2 = .28, p = .045), and the interaction of CPTSD symptoms and REM % (R2 = .25, p = .029) significantly predicted omission errors on a sustained attention test. These data suggest three distinct aspects of sleep that partially explains the relationship between PTSD symptoms and sustained attention. The present study provides evidence that sleep may play an important role in how PTSD symptoms affect cognitive performance. |
