SINGLE-PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTERIZED-TOMOGRAPHY ASSESSMENT OF CEREBRALDOPAMINE D2 RECEPTOR BLOCKADE IN DEPRESSION BEFORE AND AFTER SLEEP-DEPRIVATION - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

The antidepressant properties of total sleep deprivation (TSD) have be en well established. There is some evidence that TSD may improve depre ssion by altering central dopamine (DA) function. We therefore studied five depressed TSD responders and five TSD nonresponders after sleep and after TSD and five controls after sleep with IBZM single photon em ission computerized tomography (SPECT). Responders showed a significan t decrease (Wilcoxon-test p < 0.05) of relative basal ganglia D2 recep tor occupancy after TSD compared to nonresponders (change score respon ders versus nonresponders p < 0.05, U-test). The data are interpretate d as a sign of an enhanced DA release in responders. The results confi rm previous hypotheses of dopaminergic involvement in the therapeutic action of TSD and indirectly support a dopamine hypotheses of depressi on.