The Effect of Antidepressants on Circadian Rhythms and Cognitive Performance
Faculty Advisor Name
Jeff Dyche
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Description
It has been well documented that individuals with depression commonly experience sleep disturbances. Decreased sleep quality, diminished sleep efficiency, and increased nighttime awakenings are all typical ailments. Deficits in cognitive functioning often co-occur, including impairments in working memory, learning, inhibition, and set shifting. Our circadian clocks are located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and there is evidence that activation of serotonergic receptors in the SCN is necessary for circadian phase-resetting. Many studies have found that upon taking antidepressants (ie serotonin agonists), individuals with depression experience normalized sleep and cognitive performance. The impact of antidepressants, especially SSRIs and SNRIs, on sleep stages, particularly REM and slow wave sleep, has been the subject of numerous studies. However, there is currently very limited literature that examines their impact on sleep quality and no literature examining circadian rhythm entrainment. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of antidepressants, specifically SSRIs and SNRIs, on the circadian rhythms and cognitive performance of JMU graduate students who are either taking or not taking these medications. Our two main research questions were if there would be differences in sleep quality and circadian rhythm entrainment based on antidepressant use, and if there would be differences in cognitive performance based on antidepressant use. Graduate students wore actigraphs, which are watch-like devices that measure wrist movement and reliably infer sleep, for two consecutive weeks while also completing the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric. We found that graduate students taking antidepressants displayed the same level of sleep quality as those not taking antidepressants. The cosine functions involved in their waking and sleeping rhythms were analyzed using a chronobiological analysis, and no differences in circadian entrainment were found. Neurocognition was also compared across groups, and once again no differences in working memory, learning, inhibition, or set-shifting were found. These results indicate that taking SSRIs and SNRIs can ameliorate the deficiencies seen in depression, and bring sleep quality and cognitive performance back up to the levels seen in individuals without a mental health diagnosis.
The Effect of Antidepressants on Circadian Rhythms and Cognitive Performance
It has been well documented that individuals with depression commonly experience sleep disturbances. Decreased sleep quality, diminished sleep efficiency, and increased nighttime awakenings are all typical ailments. Deficits in cognitive functioning often co-occur, including impairments in working memory, learning, inhibition, and set shifting. Our circadian clocks are located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and there is evidence that activation of serotonergic receptors in the SCN is necessary for circadian phase-resetting. Many studies have found that upon taking antidepressants (ie serotonin agonists), individuals with depression experience normalized sleep and cognitive performance. The impact of antidepressants, especially SSRIs and SNRIs, on sleep stages, particularly REM and slow wave sleep, has been the subject of numerous studies. However, there is currently very limited literature that examines their impact on sleep quality and no literature examining circadian rhythm entrainment. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of antidepressants, specifically SSRIs and SNRIs, on the circadian rhythms and cognitive performance of JMU graduate students who are either taking or not taking these medications. Our two main research questions were if there would be differences in sleep quality and circadian rhythm entrainment based on antidepressant use, and if there would be differences in cognitive performance based on antidepressant use. Graduate students wore actigraphs, which are watch-like devices that measure wrist movement and reliably infer sleep, for two consecutive weeks while also completing the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric. We found that graduate students taking antidepressants displayed the same level of sleep quality as those not taking antidepressants. The cosine functions involved in their waking and sleeping rhythms were analyzed using a chronobiological analysis, and no differences in circadian entrainment were found. Neurocognition was also compared across groups, and once again no differences in working memory, learning, inhibition, or set-shifting were found. These results indicate that taking SSRIs and SNRIs can ameliorate the deficiencies seen in depression, and bring sleep quality and cognitive performance back up to the levels seen in individuals without a mental health diagnosis.
