Somnolence diurne excessive et dépression : données polysomnographiques

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common cause for consultations in sleep medicine. Not uncommonly, EDS is linked to depression for which the diagnosis is often delayed, after a negative evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea. We report a case series of patients presenting to a sleep medicine clinic with EDS for which the only established etiology was clinical depression and in whom we analyzed polysomnographic findings in detail. Results of polysomnography, which yields a comprehensive analysis of sleep, should systematically be examined for known markers of depression: those related to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep changes (decreased latency, increased duration of the first episode, increased total amount, increased density of REM) but also some more specific characteristics of depression associated with EDS in which increased slow wave sleep may be a significant variable.