Sleep deprivation PET correlations of Hamilton symptom improvement ratings with changes in relative glucose metabolism in patients with depression.
BACKGROUND
This PET study is a continuing investigation of the effects of antidepressant medication and one night of total sleep deprivation on cerebral metabolism in depressed patients. This study was undertaken to confirm previous correlations between symptom improvement ratings and regional changes in glucose metabolism, using a higher resolution scanner than in previous investigations. In addition, we also studied the effect of concomitant antidepressant medication in conjunction with sleep depression.


METHODS
Six depressed patients were administered the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline for a week and then underwent positron emission tomography (FDG PET) before and after sleep deprivation. Changes in relative glucose metabolism were correlated with symptom improvement ratings in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores.


RESULTS
Positive correlations (defined as reduced HDRS scores associated with areas having reduced relative cerebral glucose metabolism after TSD) were found in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior frontal/orbital frontal cortex. Negative correlations (defined as reduced HDRS scores associated with areas of increased relative cerebral glucose metabolism after TSD) were found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Limitations of this study are that the number of subjects was small (n=6) and they were scanned at a 7.6 mm resolution.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study support previous findings on the effects of sleep deprivation and antidepressant medications in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression, with an emphasis on the significance of cerebral glucose metabolic changes in the ventral and DLPF cortex in mood regulation.
Wu
Joseph C
JC
UC Irvine Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Irvine, California 92697-3960, United States. jcwu@uci.edu
Gillin
J Christian
JC
Buchsbaum
Monte S
MS
Schachat
Carol
C
Darnall
Lynn A
LA
Keator
David B
DB
Fallon
James H
JH
Bunney
William E
WE
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012892:Sleep Deprivation; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose