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Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression
Published on: April 26, 2024
Insomnia and depression: clinical associations and possible mechanistic links
Ivan Vargas1, Michael L Perlis2
1Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States.
Abstract:
Chronic insomnia is highly comorbid with multiple psychological and physical disorders, but most notably depression. While insomnia is now viewed as a risk factor for depression, and not just a 'symptom' of the disorder, the reasons for this change in classification (from symptom to risk factor) have yet to be clearly articulated. This is one goal of the present review. Furthermore, efforts to identify the mechanisms, by which insomnia is related to increases in depression is a burgeoning area of research. Here, our second goal is to highlight several potential mechanisms that can be targets for future research.
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