Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 858231

Shown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.

SSRIs, REM sleep and memory

Posted by NKP on October 19, 2008, at 12:17:23

Apparently SSRIs reduce REM sleep by between 30-50% (and therefore increase non-REM sleep). REM sleep is involved in consolidating procedural and spatial memory. Non-REM sleep is involved in consolidating declarative memory.

Paradoxically, SSRIs appear to have no adverse effect on procedural or spatial memory, whereas in the case of setraline at least (possibly other SSRIs too), declarative memory appears to show improvement.

Your thoughts please.

Re: SSRIs, REM sleep and memory » NKP

Posted by Phillipa on October 19, 2008, at 12:27:43

In reply to SSRIs, REM sleep and memory, posted by NKP on October 19, 2008, at 12:17:23

So only one SSRI improves memory and the others don't? Thought they all had the same function? No chemical knowledgeable though hope someone explains more. Phillipa

Re: SSRIs, REM sleep and memory

Posted by linkadge on October 19, 2008, at 14:59:36

In reply to SSRIs, REM sleep and memory, posted by NKP on October 19, 2008, at 12:17:23

The problem is that these parameters are likely measured in depressed subjects. The drugs could have a considerably detrimental effect on memory which is only counterballanced by the memory enhancing effects of improvement in depression. This is kind of like how you actually see some studies showing ECT can improve memory. I don't think ECT itself actually improves memory directly.

Studies in mice show that SSRI's do impair the ability to learn new tasks yet have some ability to improve performance on skills that have already been learned.

I think SSRI's probably do have adverse effects on memory. Nardil is probably the strongest REM supressing AD and it is generally considered a dumb drug.

This is the end of the thread.

Show another thread

Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ

Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org

Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.