The effect of fluoxetine on sleep: a longitudinal, double-blind polysomnographic study of healthy volunteers.
Fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of serotonin (5-HT) uptake, was compared with placebo in a randomized double-blind longitudinal trial in 12 healthy volunteers. Sleep polygraphic recordings were performed at home twice before and once after 6 days of medication. After 6 days fluoxetine significantly decreased the amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The sleep-onset latency and REM latency were increased, but there was no significant increase in the amount of awakenings during night. The relative proportion of stages 2 and 3 increased after fluoxetine administration, although there was no significant change with regard to total amount of slow-wave sleep. Fluoxetine did not induce prominent eye movements during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in this study. Results of the subjective assessment revealed tendencies of improved sleep and well-being in the fluoxetine group. It is concluded that a comparatively small dose of fluoxetine (20 mg/day) causes the same type of changes in REM sleep which are characteristic of most antidepressive drugs.
Vasar
V
V
Department of Psychiatry, University of Tartu, Finland.
Appelberg
B
B
Rimón
R
R
Selvaratnam
J
J
D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects
D005473:Fluoxetine