title: Changes in dream experience in relation with antidepressant escitalopram treatment in depressed female patients: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep disturbances have long been considered as a cardinal symptom of endogenous depression and dreams in depressed patients usually differ from those of healthy people. The aim of the present study was to investigate dream subjective experiences and their modifications in relation to clinical response in a group of escitalopram-treated depressed patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven female patients meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and starting SSRI therapy were included in the study. Data about psychopathological status and dreaming subjective experiences were collected at baseline (T0), 4 weeks after the beginning of the treatment (T1) and after further 4 weeks of therapy (T2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At T0 dream experience was impaired and negatively toned. Concomitantly with the decrease of symptoms severity, the 8-week escitalopram treatment yielded to significant improvements in the recall of both quantity and quality of dreams; those patients whit lower clinical benefits kept on reporting impaired dream experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study evidence how the changes in some specific dreaming characteristics, such as the subjective recall of dream activity, the dream recall quality, the dream emotional content and the dream complexity represent reliable markers of the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quartini
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anastasia
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melcore
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albano
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colletti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valeriani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bersani
mesh_terms: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D004325:Dreams / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D015283:Citalopram