SLEEP IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A POLYSOMNOGRAPHIC STUDY ON DRUG-NAIVE PATIENTS

A slow wave sleep (SWS) deficit and 17 shortened rapid eye movement (R EM) sleep latency are commonly reported in schizophrenic patients. How ever, most of these patients have been off neuroleptic medication for only a shout period of time. Therefore, the reported sleep alterations may be due to residual drug effects. We polysomnographically investig ated 22 drug-naive patients with a schizophrenic disorder, paranoid ty pe, and 20 normal controls. In addition, toe assessed the ventricular brain ratio (VEX) by means of completed assisted tomography. Except fo r a prolonged sleep onset latency, increased wake time and decreased s tage 2 sleep, the patients showed a sleep pattern, i.e., of SWS and RE M sleep, comparable with that of controls. The VER was increased in 71 % of the patients but teas not associated with the patients' clinical characteristics or their SWS and REM sleep patterns. Our results indic ate that the commonly reported SWS and REM sleep changes in schizophre nia reflect the remnant of prior neuroleptic treatment rather than the pathophysiology of the disorder itself. (C) 1997 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.