The treatment of psychotic depression by sleep deprivation: a replication study.

Abstract

A replication study of the effects of single-night sleep deprivation therapy was carried out as a preliminary to a controlled comparison with orthodox antidepressent measures. The results show that sleep deprivation therapy was acceptable to a majority of the patients studied, and was followed by an improvement in over half those who completed treatment. Adverse effects were minimal. The authors feel that further clinical and physiological study is warranted.