DHEA administration increases rapid eye movement sleep and EEG power in the sigma frequency range.
Dehydroepi-androsterone (DHEA) exhibits various behavioral effects in mammals, at least one of which is enhancement of memory that appears to be mediated by an interaction with the gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor complex. We investigated the effects of a single oral dose of DHEA (500 mg) on sleep stages, sleep stage-specific electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra, and concurrent hormone secretion in 10 healthy young men. DHEA administration induced a significant (P < 0.05) increase in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, whereas all other sleep variables remained unchanged compared with the placebo condition. Spectral analysis of five selected EEG bands revealed significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced EEG activity in the sigma frequency range during REM sleep in the first 2-h sleep period after DHEA administration. In contrast, the EEG power spectra of non-REM sleep were not affected, nor were the nocturnal time course curves of plasma cortisol, growth hormone, or testosterone concentration. The results suggest that DHEA administration has a mixed GABAA-agonistic/antagonistic effect, exerted either directly or through DHEA-induced changes in steroid metabolism. Because REM sleep has been implicated in memory storage, its augmentation in the present study suggests the potential clinical usefulness of DHEA in age-related dementia.
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
E
E
Friess
L
L
Trachsel
J
J
Guldner
T
T
Schier
A
A
Steiger
F
F
Holsboer
D000328:Adult; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects*
D006728:Hormones; D010919:Placebos; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone