TY - JOUR
T1 - Antidepressant effects of selective slow wave sleep deprivation in major depression
T2 - A high-density EEG investigation
AU - Landsness, Eric C.
AU - Goldstein, Michael R.
AU - Peterson, Michael J.
AU - Tononi, Giulio
AU - Benca, Ruth M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (5P20MH077967 to GT and RB, and F30MH082601 to EL) and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Young Investigator Award to MP. The NIMH and NARSAD had no further role in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, and the decision to submit the paper for publication. Statistical consultation during the data analysis was supported by grant 1UL1RR025011 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program of the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.
PY - 2011/8
Y1 - 2011/8
N2 - Sleep deprivation can acutely reverse depressive symptoms in some patients with major depression. Because abnormalities in slow wave sleep are one of the most consistent biological markers of depression, it is plausible that the antidepressant effects of sleep deprivation are due to the effects on slow wave homeostasis. This study tested the prediction that selectively reducing slow waves during sleep (slow wave deprivation; SWD), without disrupting total sleep time, will lead to an acute reduction in depressive symptomatology. As part of a multi-night, cross-over design study, participants with major depression (non-medicated; n = 17) underwent baseline, SWD, and recovery sleep sessions, and were recorded with high-density EEG (hdEEG). During SWD, acoustic stimuli were played to suppress subsequent slow waves, without waking up the participant. The effects of SWD on depressive symptoms were assessed with both self-rated and researcher-administered scales. Participants experienced a significant decrease in depressive symptoms according to both self-rated (p =.007) and researcher-administered (p =.010) scales, while vigilance was unaffected. The reduction in depressive symptoms correlated with the overnight dissipation of fronto-central slow wave activity (SWA) on baseline sleep, the rebound in right frontal all-night SWA on recovery sleep, and the amount of REM sleep on the SWD night. In addition to highlighting the benefits of hdEEG in detecting regional changes in brain activity, these findings suggest that SWD may help to better understand the pathophysiology of depression and may be a useful tool for the neuromodulatory reversal of depressive symptomatology.
AB - Sleep deprivation can acutely reverse depressive symptoms in some patients with major depression. Because abnormalities in slow wave sleep are one of the most consistent biological markers of depression, it is plausible that the antidepressant effects of sleep deprivation are due to the effects on slow wave homeostasis. This study tested the prediction that selectively reducing slow waves during sleep (slow wave deprivation; SWD), without disrupting total sleep time, will lead to an acute reduction in depressive symptomatology. As part of a multi-night, cross-over design study, participants with major depression (non-medicated; n = 17) underwent baseline, SWD, and recovery sleep sessions, and were recorded with high-density EEG (hdEEG). During SWD, acoustic stimuli were played to suppress subsequent slow waves, without waking up the participant. The effects of SWD on depressive symptoms were assessed with both self-rated and researcher-administered scales. Participants experienced a significant decrease in depressive symptoms according to both self-rated (p =.007) and researcher-administered (p =.010) scales, while vigilance was unaffected. The reduction in depressive symptoms correlated with the overnight dissipation of fronto-central slow wave activity (SWA) on baseline sleep, the rebound in right frontal all-night SWA on recovery sleep, and the amount of REM sleep on the SWD night. In addition to highlighting the benefits of hdEEG in detecting regional changes in brain activity, these findings suggest that SWD may help to better understand the pathophysiology of depression and may be a useful tool for the neuromodulatory reversal of depressive symptomatology.
KW - Depression
KW - High-density EEG
KW - Sleep deprivation
KW - Sleep homeostasis
KW - Slow wave deprivation
KW - Slow wave sleep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960586288&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.02.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 21397252
AN - SCOPUS:79960586288
SN - 0022-3956
VL - 45
SP - 1019
EP - 1026
JO - Journal of Psychiatric Research
JF - Journal of Psychiatric Research
IS - 8
ER -