New Hypothesis and Theory about Functions of Sleep and Dreams

Abstract

Aim: The aims of the study were: 1. revealing the new indicator(s) in internal organization of sleep in psychotic states; 2. constitution of new neurophysiologic and statistical models of sleep perturbation in psychotic states and/or altered states of consciousness based on experimental data. 3. Introduction of new sleep marker as biological marker for distinction of sleep organization by different psychotic states. 4. Established new hypothesis and theories in functions of sleep and dreams.Methods: The clinical neurophysiologic test (Polysomnography - PSG) were performed on 90 drug-free patients - 60 with depression (30 patients with reactive depression F32.0, F32.1, and 30 patients with depression with psychotic future F32.3); and 30 patients with Acute schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like states F23.1, F23.2 (all according to the DSM-IV criteria). Polysomnography was used for two nights, sleep staging (according to the criteria of Rechtschaffen & Kales, 1968) and statistical analysis of 130 sleep parameters with logistic regression (discriminative analysis “step by step”). All patients were drug-free in 3 days (1st adaptation night and 2 nights sleep investigation). The bigger part of investigation was performed in “Zentrum fuer Chronomedizin“in Wuerzburg (Germany) and one part at Psychiatric Clinic in Belgrade (Serbia).Results: 1. The results of our investigations demonstrate that the ratio between REM and NREM time in the first period of sleep (index of endogenous perturbation of sleep or IEP-P1=REM-1/NREM-1) is statistically the most significant chronobiological marker of internal sleep organization (through maturation and in different pathological states); 2. IEP-P1 is a highly reliable indicator of the development of endogenic perturbation of sleep in depression, mania, schizophrenic and other psychotic states, and in organic brain syndromes.Conclusion: IEP-P1 could be a new biological marker to distinction of sleep organization in different psychotic states and other states of altered consciousness. The developed statistical models could be the basis for new hypothesis and theories about functions of sleep and dreams.