Serotonin-2 Receptors and Human Sleep: Effect of a Selective Antagonist on EEG Power Spectra

• Published in: Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 455 - 466
• Main Authors: Landolt, Hans-Peter, Meier, Viola, Burgess, Helen J., Finelli, Luca A., Cattelin, Françoise, Achermann, Peter, Borbély, Alexander A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.1999; Nature Publishing
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Temperature - drug effects; Body Temperature - physiology; Electroencephalography - drug effects; Fluorobenzenes - pharmacology; Heart Rate - drug effects; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Neurotransmitters. Neurotransmission. Receptors; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenols - pharmacology; Receptors, Serotonin - drug effects; Receptors, Serotonin - physiology; Regional differences; REM sleep; Serotonin Antagonists - pharmacology; Serotoninergic system; Sleep - drug effects; Sleep - physiology; Sleep deprivation; Sleep Stages - drug effects; Sleep Stages - physiology; Slow wave sleep; Slow-wave activity; Spindle frequency activity; Slow wave sleep; Spindle frequency activity; Sleep deprivation; REM sleep; Slow-wave activity; Regional differences; Human; Deprivation; Healthy subject; Serotonin antagonist; Body temperature; Oral administration; Electroencephalography; Rapid eye movement sleep; 5-HT2 Serotonine receptor; Heart rate; Electrodiagnosis; Sleep; Quality
• ISSN: 0893-133X; 1740-634X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00052-4

To investigate the effect on the sleep EEG, a 1-mg oral dose of SR 46349B, a novel 5-HT2 antagonist, was administered three hours before bedtime. The drug enhanced slow wave sleep (SWS) and reduced stage 2 without affecting subjective sleep quality. In nonREM sleep (NREMS) EEG slow-wave activity (SWA; power within 0.75–4.5 Hz) was increased and spindle frequency activity (SFA; power within 12.25–15 Hz) was decreased. The relative NREMS power spectrum showed a bimodal pattern with the main peak at 1.5 Hz and a secondary peak at 6 Hz. A regional analysis based on bipolar derivations along the antero-posterior axis revealed significant ‘treatment’ × ‘derivation’ interactions within the 9–16 Hz range. In enhancing SWA and attenuating SFA, the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist mimicked the effect of sleep deprivation, whereas the pattern of the NREMS spectrum differed.