[Neuroendocrine tests and sleep EEG anomalies in psychotic depression]

In a retrospective study, the sleep EEG profiles and the neuroendocrine variables of 44 delusional and 44 non-delusional depressive matched for age, sex, and polarity were compared. Some classical biological disturbances in depressives patients (increase of awake duration, diminished REM latency, hypercortisolism, blunted TSH response) seemed to be more pronounced in the psychotic depressed group; nevertheless, they could be attributable to a greater severity. However, shortened REM latency seemed to be more specific to the psychotic subtype of depression.