Open Outcome Study of Prazosin in a Prison Female Population With Traumatic Dreams

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate patient and clinician assessment of the efficacy of prazosin in the treatment of recurring traumatic dreams in a female prison population. Inmates with recurring traumatic dreams were queried regarding trauma dream frequency, dream intensity, return to sleep postdream, and the quality of their sleep. They were asked to rate this after prazosin treatment and retrospectively at the time they began treatment. Clinicians were asked to evaluate the severity of patient illness before and after prazosin treatment and global improvement after prazosin treatment. Modal ratings for dream frequency dropped during the course of prazosin treatment, modal intensity dropped, modal awake time after the trauma dreams dropped, and normal sleep increased. This study suggests that prazosin is a highly effective treatment for female inmates with recurring traumatic dreams.

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