The authors report sleep EEG and dexamethasone suppression test (DST)
findings for a homogeneous sample of anergic bipolar depressed outpatients
(bipolar I, N = 7; bipolar II, N = 19) characterized by motor retardation,
volitional inhibition, hypersomnia, or weight gain and sleep EEG findings
for 26 age- and sex-matched normal control subjects. Sleep architecture was
abnormal in bipolar depression, particularly with respect to little stage 1
sleep. The biological profile of an anergic episode of bipolar depression
did not include a shorter than normal mean REM latency, poor sleep
continuity, or abnormally low amounts of stages 3 and 4 sleep, and only
three (13%) of 23 patients manifested cortisol nonsuppression.
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