Posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 10:18:26
In reply to Re: Sleep deprivation as an anti depressant » Alex01, posted by Dinah on October 4, 2001, at 8:24:04
> I don't understand the mechanism behind it but it certainly works. I admit to choosing to stay up past the point of tiredness a few nights in a row sometimes to deliberately induce a mild sort of hypomania. Probably NOT a good idea.
> I, too, would be interested in knowing the biochemistry behind it.
> Dinah
Hi.One strategy used to make the most of sleep deprivation is to go to bed at your normal time and wake up at 2:00am - 3:00am. The key is to force a phase *advance* in the circadian rhythm. Retarding the rhythm (going to bed late and over-sleeping) can actually make depression worse. There are some reports that using sleep deprivation can accelerate the response to antidepressants. I haven't researched it enough to know how to go about using sleep deprivation on a regular basis, but I imagine it involves periodic rather than continuous application.
I believe the current thought is that the antidepressant effects of sleep deprivation involve dopaminergic function. A number of years ago, researchers at the NIMH tried to establish an association between a patient's response to a single night's total sleep deprivation and the drugs that they respond to. I wish I could remember for sure what they found, but I don't. I think non-response to SD prognosticated for reduced rates of response to Wellbutrin and MAOIs. Not sure.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:80236
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010927/msgs/80254.html