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The comparison between prazosin versus clonidine effects on combat related P.T.S.D nightmares
Annals of General Psychiatry volume 5, Article number: S190 (2006)
Background
P.T.S.D is a psychiatric (anxiety) disorder that may develops after a catastrophic stress. One of it's symptoms is nightmares that usually is severe and impaire sleep. Some studies show increased activity of adrenergic system in this disorder.
Also, some drugs such as clonidine, guanfacine and prazosin that decrease the activity of this system, decrease symptoms of PTSD, such as nightmares.
At this study we compared the effects of clonidine versus prazosin on nightmares of these partients.
Materials and methods
On a dobule blinded clinical trial we studied two groups of inpatient PTSD by using clonidine or prazosin in each group for 8 weeks.
Then we rate the frequency, deepness and serverity of the nightmares by CAPS.
All of the patients were male, married and chronic form of disorder.
The data were analysed by X2, t-pared and t-student.
Results
In both groups the average of nightmares severity reduced, and they were statistically significant (p < 0.001), but the difference between two groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
Discussion
Prazosin and clonidine may be effective for treatment of nightmares of PTSD patient's but there are not significant differences between them.
References
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Mousavi, S., Barati, M., Afshar, H. et al. The comparison between prazosin versus clonidine effects on combat related P.T.S.D nightmares. Ann Gen Psychiatry 5 (Suppl 1), S190 (2006). https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/1744-859X-5-S1-S190
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DOI: https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/1744-859X-5-S1-S190