title: EEG spectral analysis in vital depression: ultradian cycles.
abstract: Ten=hour sleep monitoring was carried out in 34 patients suffering from a vital depressive illness as well as in a group of 16 healthy volunteers; 18 of the depressed patients were deprived of treatment. The EEG was evaluated visually for data concerning the REM cycle and the REM latency. Spectral analysis of the all-night recordings yielded interval histograms for a group comparison of background activity. Fourier spectrograms and digital filtering were used to analyze ultradian patterns within the long-term frequency distribution. The result showed a trend in depression toward prolongation of the REM cycle and shortening of REM latencies. More significant, however, was the activation of 16- to 8-Hz waves together with a decreased occurrence of delta activity in depressed subjects without treatment. Depressed patients had significantly slower ultradian periodicities with 102-min cycles compared to 86-min cycles in healthy subjects. This disturbance could be temporally located in the early morning hours.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001611:Beta Rhythm; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D003700:Delta Rhythm; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003984:Dibenzazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003984:Dibenzazepines; D000639:Amitriptyline; D007099:Imipramine