Body core temperature and depression during total sleep deprivation in depressives

Endogenously depressed patients were subjected to a total sleep deprivation (TSD) schedule of sleep-TSD-sleep-TSD. They were simultaneously treated with the antidepressant drug clomipramine. Self- and observer-rated depression was measured daily. Continuously measured rectal temperature (RT) data were available for the second TSD. It was found that a higher nocturnal minimum RT during this TSD was associated with a positive clinical response.