CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID PROSTAGLANDINS AND CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING FACTORIN SCHIZOPHRENICS AND CONTROLS - RELATIONSHIP TO SLEEP ARCHITECTURE

Sleep abnormalities have been consistently observed in patients with s chizophrenia. Elevated levels of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and prostaglandins (PGs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with schizophrenia have been reported, and these neurochemical substan ces, known to modulate sleep in experimental animals, may play a role in these sleep abnormalities. In this study, we measured PGD(2), PGE(2 ), PGF(2 alpha) and CRF levels in the CSF of 14 unmedicated schizophre nic patients and 14 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Polysomnogr aphic recordings were also carried out for each subject. As expected, the sleep of the schizophrenic subjects significantly differed from th at of the controls; schizophrenic subjects had a longer sleep onset la tency, slept less, spent fewer minutes in stage 2 sleep and had a lowe r sleep efficiency. We could not, however, detect any differences in C SF CRF and PG levels between normal and schizophrenic subjects, nor co uld we find any correlation between CSF variables and sleep parameters in the schizophrenic subjects and the non-psychiatric controls. These results do not favor the hypothesis of a role for CRF or PGs in the p athophysiology of sleep disturbances in schizophrenia. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science Ireland Ltd.