EEG sleep and the cholinergic REM induction test in anorexic and bulimic patients

Abstract

Abstract. The electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep of 20 anorexic patients, 10 bulimic patients, and 10 age-matched healthy controls was studied. In addition, six anorexic patients and six bulimic patients had a cholinergic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep induction test (RIT) performed with the cholinergic agent RS 86. The three samples showed no major differences in sleep patterns. The same held true when attention was focused on patients who additionally met D&U-Illcriteria for major depression. The RIT results were similar in the patients with eating disorders and in controls, but differed from those reported in depressives. Therefore, the present study found no hints of depression-like sleep patterns in patients with eating disorders.

A polysomnographic study in young psychiatric inpatients: major depression, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa

“…In healthy volunteers, the REM sleep inducing properties of RS 86 were proved by Spiegel (1984) and Riemann et al (1988). Berger et al (1985Berger et al ( , 1989 demonstrated that the effect of RS 86 on REM sleep regulation was significantly more pronounced in patients with major depression than in patients with other psychiatric disorders and healthy volunteers, supporting the hypothesis of a functional hypersensitivity of the cholinergic system during depression.…”

“…In the latter two studies, all patients exhibiting a shortened REM latency suffered from a significant depressive mood disturbance. On the other hand, Levy et al (1987Levy et al ( , 1988, Hudson et al (1987) and Lauer et al (1988) found no altered REM sleep patterns in anorexic and bulimic patients, regardless of the coexistence of a minor or major depression. However, the majority of these investigations had the disadvantage of not including a comparison group of patients with major depression.…”

“…Records were then scored visually according to standard criteria (Rechtschaffen and Kales, 1968) by two experienced raters blind to the subjects' diagnoses. Definitions of sleep measurement have previously been described in detail (Lauer et al, 1988).…”

“…Furthermore, seven patients with a major depression (five female, two male; age 25.7 f 6.8 years; four were of melancholic subtype) and 12 healthy volunteers (seven female, five male; age 23.3 + 2.8 years) were investigated (the data of five depressives and of seven control subjects were selected from another study on the basis of an age under 35 years; Riemann et al, 1988;Berger et al, 1989). In the depressives and the bulimic patients the RIT was performed immediately after the baseline period.…”

“…Measurements of sleep continuity, sleep architecture and REM latency did not distinguish between the three patient samples and the healthy controls (a detailed description of data obtained in the anorexic and bulimic patients is given in Lauer et al, 1988). The only sleep parameters significantly differing between the groups were the REM density of the first REM period (F = 3.22, df = 3, P < 0.05) and the mean REM density (F = 6.37, df = 3, P < 0.001).…”