Changes in brain arousal (EEG-vigilance) after therapeutic sleep deprivation in depressive patients and healthy controls. Issue 1 (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sander, Christian; Schmidt, Jonathan; Mergl, Roland; Schmidt, Frank; Hegerl, Ulrich
• Is Part Of: Scientific reports. Volume 8:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 10
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Natural history -- Research -- Periodicals; Biology -- Research -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 502.85
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33228-x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2322

Abstract

Abstract Depressed patients frequently exhibit a hyperstable brain arousal regulation. According to the arousal regulation model of affective disorders, the antidepressant effect of therapeutic sleep deprivation could be achieved by counter-acting this dysregulation. We investigated the impact of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) on EEG-vigilance (an indicator of brain arousal regulation) in depressed patients (n = 27) and healthy controls (n = 16). PSD was hypothesized to cause a more prominent destabilisation of brain arousal regulation in depressed patients (reflected by increased occurrence of lower EEG-vigilance stages). Furthermore, it was studied whether responders (n = 17) exhibit a more stable baseline brain arousal regulation and would show a more prominent arousal destabilisation after PSD than non-responders (n = 10). Before PSD, patients showed a more stable EEG-vigilance with less declines to lower vigilance stages compared to controls. Contrary to the hypothesis, a greater destabilisation of brain arousal after PSD was seen in controls. Within the patient sample, responders generally showed a less stable EEG-vigilance, especially after PSD when we found significant differences compared to non-responders. EEG-vigilance in non-responders showed only little change from baseline to after PSD. In summary, PSD had a destabilizing impact on brain arousal regulation in healthy controls whereas depressed patients reacted heterogeneously depending on the outcome of treatment.