Polysomnographic evaluation of clinical patients suffering from mood disturbance

POLYSOMNOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF CLINICAL PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MOOD DISTURBANCE (ABSTRACT)^*. DISSERTATION. LONDRINA, 1999.

MÔNICA MARCOS DE SOUZA^**

Sleep disorders are diagnostic criteria for depression, and highly characteristic in patients suffering from mood disturbances. The sleep patterns of sixty clinical patients suffering from mood disturbance were studied, aged between 16 to 59 years old. These patients were submitted to two nights of nocturnal polysomnographic evaluation and the second night of observation was employed in the statistics.

The following parameters were analyzed: REM sleep parameters (number of REM cycles, and REM density), parameters of sleep continuity, (sleep efficiency, total number of sleep interruptions, sleep latency, time of permanence awake, and number of stage changes) and delta sleep parameters. In general, all parameters evaluated were altered; but only the sleep in stage 4 there was statistical significant diference between the mild depressive and severe.

The statistics evaluations used the Fischer Exact Test and the Kruskall-Wallis Statistics Heterogenecity Test. Descriptive analysis was used to delineate the study. Concerning gender, there was a predominance of females (80%) on males (20%); the age average was between 36.1 ± 11.3 years old; the average and the standard deviation of the variables studied were: REM latency, 75.3 ± 48.2 minutes; duration of the first REM cycle, 22.8 ± 14.0 minutes; percentage of REM sleep, 27.2 ± 8.6; REM density, 22.4 ± 10.3 %; number of REM cycles, most patients presented 3 REM cycles; sleep efficiency, 90.5 ± 10.1 % number of awakenings, 21.2 ± 10.7 episodes; sleep latency, 8.8 ± 10.4 minutes; total awake time, 35.4 ± 36.6 minutes; changes between stages, 72.3 ± 29.4 episodes; percentage of sleep in stage 3, 3.2 ± 2.7 %; percent sleep in stage 4, 3.4 ± 4.4 %; percentage sleep stage 3+4, 6.7 ± 6.0± %. The most common diagnosis established was dysthymia.

The polysomnographic study offers a better understanding of pathophysiology of depression and is be useful for the diagnosis, follow up and therapy for mood disturbances.

KEY WORDS: sleep, sleep disorders, polysomnography, mood disturbance, depression.

**Address: Avenida Bandeirantes 500 / 310, 86010-010 Londrina PR, Brasil. E-mail: [e-mail]

*

Avaliação polissonográfica de pacientes ambulatoriais portadores de transtornos do humor (Resumo). Dissertação de Mestrado, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Área: Medicina Interna). Orientador: Damácio Ramón Kaimén Maciel. Co-orientador: Rubens Reimão.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  11 Apr 2002
• Date of issue
  Mar 2002