Eye-blink rates and depression. Is the antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation mediated by the dopamine system?
Abstract
A series of studies demonstrated a possible correlation between eye-blink rate and central dopamine activity. The hypothesis has been put forward that the antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation (SD) is mediated by an enhanced dopamine release resulting in an amphetaminelike action of SD. Therefore, the blink rates of 12 drug-naive patients with major depression and 12 healthy controls were compared before and after SD and before and after 2.5 mg bromocriptine as a dopaminergic challenge. The main result of the study was that the depressed patients had a significantly higher increase of blinking after SD both with and without a dopaminergic challenge. Basal eye-blink rate was not different in nonretarded major depression patients compared to controls. Sleep deprivation increased blink rate in depression patients but not in controls, and the increase was proportional to improvements in depressive state after sleep deprivation. Bromocriptine did not increase blink rate 1 hour after application. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that antidepressant SD acts through dopamine release, although it is not conclusive, because other neurotransmitters like acetylcholine may be involved in the regulation of blinking.
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Total sleep deprivation seems to activate limbic dopaminergic pathways, measured by increased limbic blood flow, increased D2 dopamine receptor occupancy, and increased eye-blink rates after treatment.
“TSD also seems to activate limbic dopaminergic pathways which can be measured in increased limbic blood flow, increased D2 dopamine receptor occupancy, and increased eye-blink rates after TSD treatment (Ebert et al., 1994a; Ebert et al., 1994b; Ebert et al., 1996).”
From Circadian genes, rhythms and the biology of mood disorders (2007) · cites this paper as Ebert et al., 1996
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- Authors
- Ebert, D.
- Affiliations
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Ebert, D
- Venue
- Neuropsychopharmacology
- Published
- 1996-10
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 332-339
- ISSN
- 0893-133X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2072412815
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- FreiDok plus (Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Keywords
- sleep deprivation, depression, blink rate, dopamine, bromocriptine, antidepressant mechanism, acetylcholine, major depressive disorder
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Bromocriptine, Depressive Disorder, Dopamine, Eye Movements, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sleep Deprivation
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