title: Microstructure of sleep in depressed patients according to the cyclic alternating pattern.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the microstructure of the EEG sleep of depressed subjects by cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  78 patients affected by major depression and 18 control subjects matched for age and sex underwent a full night polysomnographic study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in CAP rate (60 versus 35%) was found in the patients group compared to controls while no significant difference was found with the traditional analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In depressed subjects CAP analysis is able to show a microstructural sleep impairment, which is not evident at the macrostructural level, providing an objective measure of sleep disturbance in those patients.
authors: Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, via Alexander Fleming 110, 00191, Rome, Italy. bennifarina@mclink.it
authors: Benedetto
authors: B
authors: Farina
authors: Giacomo
authors: G
authors: Della Marca
authors: Victoria J
authors: VJ
authors: Grochocinski
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Mazza
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Buysse
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Di Giannantonio
authors: Gioacchino
authors: G
authors: Francesco Mennuni
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: De Risio
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Kupfer
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Frank
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*