List of publications on a keyword: «sleep»

In recent decades, sleep deprivation has evolved from a single experimental data set to the status of an effective and affordable therapeutic intervention used in daily clinical practice. The mechanism of action of this method is aimed at the same neurotransmitter systems and brain regions as antidepressants. As in the case of pharmacotherapy for sleep deprivation, it should be used under close supervision of a physician. Clinical effects with sleep deprivation are achieved much faster than with psychopharmacotherapy, but they are not long-term in nature. It is possible to improve the results using a combination of pharmacotherapy and sleep deprivation. The use of sleep deprivation in clinical conditions is aimed primarily at preventing depression and its recurrence, as well as in cases resistant to pharmacotherapy. In modern conditions, the method of sleep deprivation is a significant alternative to traditional approaches to therapy of depression.

Presently, a lot of data indicate that the disturbance of mechanisms underlying the regulation of sleep-waking cycle coincides with the mechanisms underlying the development of depression. The disturbance of circadian rhythms is one of the core factors in the genesis of the most affective disorders including depression, which indicates the role of the internal biological clock in the pathophysiology of affective disorders. The episodes of depression, mania or hypomania may result from the disturbances in endogenous biological timing. In this review, we have summarized the literature data obtained in animal models or in the patients with affective pathology, in which the connection between the function of sleep and depression was demonstrated. Specifically, we highlight the mechanisms underlying sleep dysfunction during depression (imbalance of circadian rhythms, melatonin metabolism and mechanisms of neuroinflammatory dysregulation) and provide an evidence for the link between sleep function and depression (sleep disturbances during depressive episodes, the effects of pharmacotherapy, chronotherapy, the effect of sleep deprivation, comorbidity of obstructive sleep apnea and depression).

Nightmares are scary or disturbing dreams which are associated with negative feelings, such as fear, terror or disgust. These feelings oftentimes awake the dreamer, who can easily recollect the content of the nightmare. Nightmares are not necessarily a symptom of a disease. Moreover, nightmares with little emotional response are experienced by almost all people once in a while without any risk for their health. However, nightmares that occur frequently and disturb the sleep might lead to clinically significant impairments in social, professional and other areas of life. They are considered a sleep disorder (parasomnia) and require a proper treatment. This review discusses the theoretical models of nightmares, their causes, diagnostics and treatment strategies.