Dream content and sleep changes in women after mastectomy.

e11524 Background: The concerns people express in their dreams are the concerns they have in waking life (Domhoff – Dreaming 11: 13-33; 2001) . In this abstract we report in breast cancer patients (BCP) the dream content, sleep quality and quantity , and their mood both before and after mastectomy (M), to determine whether a loss of a body part could change body schema and actuate a sexual sphere restructuring. Methods: Consecutive menopausal BCP without impaired cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24), without psychiatric and/or sleep disorders, not assuming drug that could affect REM sleep and waiting for M were enrolled. Pts were evaluated at T0 (7-10 days before M) and at T1 (3 months after M) with: 1) Dream Report Form (DRF – Domhoff , 1996) in which pts describe 5 recent dreams; 2) Dream Remind Questionnaire (DRQ) to obtain explicit content of dreams; 3) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); 4) State Trait Anxiety Inventory , Form Y(STAI-Y). Results: Thirty pts were eligible: 15 pts dropped out (withdrew consen...