SUSTAINED FACIAL MUSCLE-ACTIVITY DURING REM-SLEEP AND ITS CORRELATIONWITH DEPRESSION

Recently, we proposed that the coupling of cognitive activation and di minished arousal during REM sleep may have a mood regulating effect. C onversely, increased arousal during REM sleep may be associated with m ood dysregulation. In this paper, the desensitization model is describ ed, and data are presented on the association between motor activity d uring REM sleep, wakefulness and severity of depression. Motor activit y sleep EEG data and two measures of depressive severity (BDI and HRSD ) were obtained from 23 depressed patients. BDI scores were significan tly correlated with motor activity only during REM sleep. HRSD scores were correlated with motor activity only during quiet wakefulness. The se findings are consistent with the theoretical perspective that dysre gulation in arousal mechanisms during REM sleep may promote mood distu rbance during the depressive episode.