The relevance of pharmacological studies to sleep research in psychiatry

Abstract

The involvement of central serotonergic mechanisms in the organisation of human sleep has been confirmed in several single and multiple-dose clinico-pharmacological studies with the specific serotonin-S2-antagonist ritanserin. The pronounced thymosthenic effect observed with this compound in patients suffering from dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder and negative symptoms of schizophrenia can possibly be attributed to a restoration of the energetic function during the night as a consequence of a dramatic increase in slow wave sleep during treatment with ritanserin.