title: REM sleep and prolactin in patients with non-affective psychoses.
abstract: Reduced REM latency is a common polysomnographic finding in patients with schizophrenia. This has been attributed to cholinergic hyperactivity secondary to increased dopaminergic tone. We studied polysomnographic sleep recordings, and morning serum prolactin levels as a measure of dopaminergic tone in 17 drug-free patients suffering from non-affective psychoses, hypothesizing that REM-latency and prolactin would correlate. A clear-cut positive correlation between prolactin and REM latency was found, as well as a negative correlation between prolactin and REM sleep. The findings may be explained by dopaminergic and secondary hypercholinergic and/or serotonergic mechanisms responsible for the regulation of REM sleep and the secretion of prolactin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Lapinlahdentie, 00180, Finland. bjorn.appleberg@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Appelberg
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katila
authors.forename: Ranan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rimón
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D012895:Sleep, REM
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin; D004298:Dopamine