Sleep medicine
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Individuals with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) commonly report symptoms of depression; however, the percentage of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who experience OSDB is less clear. This study aimed to examine OSDB in a sample of individuals with MDD, unselected for sleep-related complaints, along a continuum of ventilatory and hypoxic abnormalities. ⋯ These results suggest that OSDB may play a more important role in MDD than previously recognized. OSDB may contribute to or exacerbate the condition of someone predisposed to MDD, and the treatment of OSDB may ameliorate or possibly prevent depressive symptoms.
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This study compared the effects of caffeine in patients with primary insomnia and normal volunteers. The main goal was to determine the differences in sensitivity to caffeine between the groups. We investigated the effects on daytime sleep of placebo or caffeine after a night of total sleep deprivation (SD). We hypothesized that insomniacs would be more affected by caffeine, which would suggest a change in adenosine receptor (number or sensitivity) in primary insomniacs. ⋯ Patients with insomnia had a higher sensitivity to the diurnal awakening effect of caffeine even after one night of SD. This suggests that changes in the adenosine receptors could, in part, be responsible for the hyperarousal state that has been reported in primary insomnia.