The Psychophysiology of Sleep in Psychotic Depression: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The sleep of a 51-year-old farmer with a severe psychotic depression was studied by electroencephalograph for 31 of 36 hospital days and for 2 nights 3 weeks after discharge. He was successfully treated with 9 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); abrupt improvement followed the sixth. Before improvement his sleep was grossly abnormal with much wakefulness. REMP [rapic eye movement phase] and Stage IV sleep were abnormally low. After successful treatment, REMP showed a compensatory increase. Stage IV sleep increased toward normal very slowly. There were changes in appetite, weight, and bowel function, as well as in mood and behavior.