Amitriptyline and EEG sleep in depressed patients: I. Drug effect.

The paucity of studies on the tricyclic antidepressants led us to conduct an investigation on 30 drug-free patients treated with amitryptyline in a double-blind protocol over a 4-week period. Consistent with previous reports, there was an immediate REM suppression on 50 mg, which was more pronounced at the 100-mg level. However, no significant incremental changes were noticed on 150 or 200 mg with regard to REM sleep suppression. Drug administration was associated with changes in other sleep variables such as stage 1 percent, stage 2 percent, and various measures of sleep continuity. The incomplete tolerance of the drug on certain REM sleep variables enhances our understanding of amitryptyline effects on the EEG sleep of depressed patients.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes