Sleep deprivation therapy shown to be effective in treating depression

Sleep deprivation therapy has been shown to be an effective means of treating depression in a wide variety of patients.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have analysed the findings of more than 2,000 studies, eventually pulling data from a final group of 66 studies to determine the degree to which sleep deprivation elicits positive responses.

It was shown that sleep deprivation administered in controlled inpatient settings rapidly reduced symptoms of depression in roughly half of depression patients, regardless of how the response was quantified, how the therapy was delivered, or the type of depression the subject was experiencing.

Partial sleep deprivation, in which sleep for three to four hours was followed by forced wakefulness for 20 to 21 hours, was shown to be equally as effective as total sleep deprivation over 36 hours, while medication use did not appear to significantly influence the results.

Lead author Dr Elaine Boland, a clinical associate and research psychologist at the Michael J Crescenz VA Medical Center, said: "These studies in our analysis show that sleep deprivation is effective for many populations."

With over 20 years of experience within the science market, we at Zenopa have the knowledge, skills and expertise to help find the right job for you. To find out more about the current science roles we have available, you can search for the latest job roles, register your details, or contact the team today.