Can Sleep Parameters Predict Upcoming Mood Episodes in Bipolar Disorder?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Bipolar disorder (BD) is a recurrent mood disorder characterized by episodes of mania, depression, and euthymia.
• Sleep disturbances are frequently reported by patients with BD, often preceding mood episodes.
• Identifying early warning signs of mood recurrence is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if daily sleep patterns can differentiate between the prodromal stage of mood episodes and euthymia in patients with bipolar disorder.
• To explore the role of both mean changes and variability in sleep patterns as predictors of mood episodes.

Main Methods:

• The BipoSense study followed 29 participants with BD for one year.
• Participants used an app to log hourly sleep/wake status, supplemented by fortnightly clinical assessments.
• Multilevel logistic regression models analyzed sleep data, with Bonferroni-Holm corrections for multiple comparisons.

Main Results:

• Waking up later was associated with prodromal depression.
• Increased variability in sleep duration, time in bed, and wake-up time correlated with prodromal depression.
• Decreased variability in sleep onset and wake-up times was linked to prodromal (hypo)mania.

Conclusions:

• Self-reported sleep changes, especially variability, show potential for identifying early warning signs of mood recurrence in bipolar disorder.
• These findings suggest sleep tracking could be a valuable tool for patients and clinicians.
• Further research is needed to validate these explorative findings.