Sleep Problems Often Coexist with Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatry Advisor

Michael O'Leary

Exploring comorbid sleep disorders in psychiatric 

disorders

Sleep disorders and circadian misalignment are present in many psychiatric disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.1

There are two types of sleep: non-rapid eye-movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep. Over the course of a sleep period, NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically.2 This basic structural organization is referred to as sleep architecture.

Two major processes – homeostatic drive and circadian rhythm, regulate the sleep-wake system. Homeostatic drive determines how much sleep is needed, and the circadian rhythm optimizes the ability to achieve that sleep at night.1-2

(published site)

Identifying Fast-Acting Treatments for Resistant Depression

Psychiatry Advisor

Michael O'Leary

July 11, 2014

Identifying Fast-Acting Treatments
for Resistant Depression

A NIMH initiative aims to find faster-acting antidepressants in order to treat patients with severe depression that requires urgent treatment.

Current antidepressant medications often take a few weeks to work, creating an urgent need for improved and faster-acting antidepressant treatments for patients with severe, life-threatening forms of depression.

Recognizing this need, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) established the Rapidly-Acting Treatments for Treatment-Resistant Depression (RAPID) research project.
(Published site)