It is therefore no surprise that no simple and easy answer to these complex issues is yet at hand. More insight and more research are definitely needed. One domain where sleep research is already useful today is insomnia, for it may predate,

accompany, or worsen depression. The finding of new antidepressant drugs that will also take good care of insomnia without prompting daytime sleepiness will undoubtedly increase compliance and prognosis. Selected abbreviations and acronyms MAOI monoamine oxidase inhibitor MDD major depressive disorder NaSSA noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant REMS rapid eye movement sleep RL rapid eye movement sleep latency SNRI Selleckchem Verteporfin serotonin and norepinephrine Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical reuptake inhibitor SSR Iselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SWS slow-wave sleep TCA tricyclic antidepressant
As much as one third of the adult population reports difficulty sleeping1-3 and the widespread use of prescribed hypnotic medication, as well as nonprescription remedies, Is an Indirect reflection of this high frequency of sleep complaints.2,4 Sleep disturbance is considered as the second most common symptom of mental distress.5 Individuals reporting disturbed sleep are more likely

to Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical report emotional distress and recurrent health problems.1 In fact, disturbed sleep is a common finding in psychiatric illnesses. Some patients will even attribute their daytime psychiatric symptoms to abnormal sleep Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and believe that Improved sleep will solve their problems. In some cases, the psychological symptoms

associated with a primary sleep disorder could. Indeed Improve with adequate therapy, for Instance, the altered states of consciousness or depression encountered. In some patients with sleep apnea could Indeed Improve with nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment. In primary psychiatric disorders, the sleep complaint usually parallels the state of the disorder, and sleep improves when the psychiatric symptoms improve. Another point is that alterations of sleep by psychiatric conditions are likely Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to have underlying brain neurotransmitter dysfunction directly involved in the patho-physiological process of the disease. Indeed, neurotransmission disturbances, such as those encountered in mental disorders, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews are reflected in spontaneous alteration of sleep continuity and architecture. The corrective effect on dysfunctional neurotransmission systems of psychotropic drugs, such as antidepressants, is also evidenced through polysomnographic recordings. Sleep can thus be considered as a kind of window on the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. The first section of this review will introduce recent inroads into understanding sleep-regulatory neural mechanisms. The following sections deal with the way psychotropic drugs interact with mechanisms involved in sleep-wake regulation.