[Sleep and psychotropic drugs]

Abstract

After reviewing a number of recent concepts of the anatomy of the cerebral noradrenergic systems, the authors examines the effects of several representative drugs of each of the three major classes of psychotropic drugs (neuroleptics, antidepressants, tranquilizers) on sleep. The effects of the neuroleptics on the paradoxical phase of sleep can be explained by the particular features of the organization of the cerebral noradrenergic systems. The antidepressants reduce the paradoxical phase by a number of mechanisms related to their principal pharmacological properties of inhibition of monoamine uptake and the anticholinergic effect. The benzodiazepine tranquillizers have a complex action on sleep, probably acting via several mechanisms. Newly developed benzodiazepine receptor antagonists enable us to distinguish some of these effects. The sensitivity of sleep to a large number of drugs is a useful tool for the functional investigation of the central nervous system.