Improvement of a patient's circadian rhythm sleep disorders by aripiprazole was associated with stabilization of his bipolar illness.
Splitting of the behavioural activity phase has been found in nocturnal rodents with suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) coupling disorder. A similar phenomenon was observed in the sleep phase in the diurnal human discussed here, suggesting that there are so-called evening and morning oscillators in the SCN of humans. The present case suffered from bipolar disorder refractory to various treatments, and various circadian rhythm sleep disorders, such as delayed sleep phase, polyphasic sleep, separation of the sleep bout resembling splitting and circabidian rhythm (48 h), were found during prolonged depressive episodes with hypersomnia. Separation of sleep into evening and morning components and delayed sleep-offset (24.69-h cycle) developed when lowering and stopping the dose of aripiprazole (APZ). However, resumption of APZ improved these symptoms in 2 weeks, accompanied by improvement in the patient's depressive state. Administration of APZ may improve various circadian rhythm sleep disorders, as well as improve and prevent manic-depressive episodes, via augmentation of coupling in the SCN network.
['Tashiro|Tetsuo|T|']
D000328:Adult D000068180:Aripiprazole D001714:Bipolar Disorder D002940:Circadian Rhythm D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D012890:Sleep D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
circadian rhythm sleep disorders aripiprazole suprachiasmatic nucleus bipolar disorder biological oscillator