EEG sleep in depressed adolescents

Sleep disturbances, including disturbances in REM sleep, are common among depressed adults; it is unclear if the same is true for depressed adolescents. The authors monitored the sleep of 13 depressed adolescents and 13 normal age-matched controls. They found that, as with depressed adults, REM latency was significantly shorter and REM density significantly greater in the depressed group. There was no correlation between reduced REM latency and severity of depression, but there was a significant negative correlation between REM latency and age.