Abstract.
Sleep deprivation (SD) induces a rapid amelioration of mood in about 60 % of depressed patients. After the next night of sleep, however, most patients experience a relapse. Previous studies demonstrated that a six day sleep-phase advance protocol prevents relapses in about 60 % of patients who responded positively to SD. We investigated whether also a three day phase advance of the sleep period might be able to maintain the antidepressant effects of SD. Twenty-eight medicated depressed inpatients, who had a significant improvement after a SD in one night were recruited for this study. The phase advance protocol began on the first day after SD with a bed time from 5:00 p. m. to 12:00 p. m. on the first, from 7:00 p. m. to 2:00 a. m. on the second and 9:00 p. m. to 4:00 a. m. on the third day after SD. Three patients dropped out because of protocol violations. Only ten of the remaining 25 SD responders had a relapse during the three days of phase advance treatment or during the two days after it. Two of the relapsers improved again until day 6, i. e. 68 % showed an improvement of at least 30 % six days after the beginning of the treatment. This study indicates that even a three day phase advance protocol may help to prevent relapses after successful SD.
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Received: 19 February 2002 / Accepted: 28 January 2003
Correspondence to U. Voderholzer, MD
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Voderholzer, U., Valerius, G., Schaerer, L. et al. Is the antidepressive effect of sleep deprivation stabilized by a three day phase advance of the sleep period? . European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 253, 68–72 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-003-0408-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-003-0408-7