Advanced vs. normal sleep timing: effects on depressed mood after response to sleep deprivation in patients with a major depressive disorder.
Total sleep deprivation (TSD) exerts beneficial but only transient effects on mood in patients with a major depressive disorder (MDD). Though approximately 50 to 70% of depressed patients improve after sleep deprivation, the majority relapse after recovery sleep, some even after a short nap. One theoretical model postulates a critical period in the early morning hours where sleep is likely to induce a relapse, and nap studies indicate that sleep may be particularly 'depressogenic' at this time of day. A second model attributes the relapse to the release of non-REM sleep. We therefore compared the impact of an advanced sleep period (17:00-24:00 h) to a normal sleep period (23:00-06:00 h) on mood in patients who had responded to sleep deprivation. Less relapses into depression occurred after advanced sleep. Polysomnographic data showed that, as expected, normal sleep was characterized by a more pronounced improvement of sleep continuity and increased slow-wave sleep. The normal sleep group showed a stronger decrease in REM sleep density than the advanced sleep group compared with baseline. These data add to a growing body of evidence that the timing of sleep following successful sleep deprivation may be crucial for a stabilization of its antidepressant effect. Thus, avoidance of sleep during a "critical period' for more than a single night is necessary to provide a longer-lasting treatment modality.
Riemann
D
D
Psychiatric Department, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Hohagen
F
F
König
A
A
Schwarz
B
B
Gomille
J
J
Voderholzer
U
U
Berger
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D017286:Polysomnography; D012008:Recurrence; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome