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Gerald W. Vogel, MD; Arthur Thurmond; Pauline Gibbons; Katherine Sloan; Mary Boyd, RN; Margaret Walker, MSW

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1975;32(6):765-777.

Abstract
Thirty-four endogenous and 18 reactive, depressed patients (hospitalized and nonschizophrenic) were treated in a double-blind, crossover study of the hypothesis that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep reduction (by awakenings) relieves depression. In the endogenous group—but not in the reactive group—subjects deprived of REM sleep for three weeks improved significantly more than control subjects awakened from non-REM sleep.

Therapeutic efficacy of REM sleep reduction appeared similar to reported efficacy of imipramine hydrochloride treatment of depression. Eight of nine endogenous patients, unimproved by REM sleep deprivation, did not improve with imipramine. Results suggested (1) that substantial REM sleep reduction has antidepressant activity, and (2) since imipramine and other drug antidepressants reduce REM sleep much more so than nonantidepressant drugs, that an antidepressant "mechanism" of drugs resides in their capacity to substantially reduce REM sleep.

Author Affiliations
From the Georgia Mental Health Institute and the Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Feb 21, 1975.

Reprint requests to the Sleep Lab, Georgia Mental Health Institute, 1256 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 (Dr. Vogel).

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