An Apple Watch App for managing PTSD

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects over 8.6 Million American Individuals between the ages of 18 and 64. Also, 4.4 % of Americans are diagnosed with PTSD every year. Moreover, the incidence of PTSD is higher among ex-military personnel.

A common symptom of PTSD is nightmares. Recurrent Nightmares due to PTSD make it hard for PTSD patients to have a good night’s sleep.

To combat this problem, a Minneapolis-based company has developed an Apple-phone app that reduces the incidence of nightmares in PTSD patients.

This app works by first monitoring the sleep pattern of a PTSD patient for a few days. The app records movement and heart-rate of the patient using the inbuilt accelerometer and the in-build heart-rate monitor of the apple watch. The app then learns about the sleeping pattern of the patient over time. The watch has to be worn only when that patient is in bed sleeping. It has to be taken off during the day.

The app knows when the patient is having a nightmare because the patient’s heart beats faster and the patient tosses more frequently in bed during a nightmare episode.

After the app has mastered the nightmare signature of the patient for a few days, the app switches from a ‘training mode’ to an ‘intervention mode’. In the intervention mode, when the app detects that the patient is having a nightmare, the app vibrates the apple watch. The vibration is delivered with a controlled intensity that is enough to interrupt the nightmare but not enough to wake up the patient.

This app is currently undergoing clinical trials. It is yet to be approved by the FDA, and it is not available for sale in stores yet.

Healthtechnik will keep you updated on the progress of this app.

For more information about this app, visit the website of its developers at https://night-ware.com