EFFECT OF RESERPINE AND MONAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS ON PARADOXICAL SLEEP IN MONKEY

Three Macaca, mulatta monkeys were administered parenteral reserpine (0.25 mg/kg), iproniazid (50 mg/kg), and tranylcypromine (2 mg/kg) in a counterbalanced design for seven days. All-night EEG sleep recordings were obtained prior to and during drug administration. Reserpine significantly increased the amount of paradoxical sleep, and decreased the latency to paradoxical sleep onset. Iproniazid significantly decreased the amount of paradoxical sleep and increased the latency to its onset. Tranylcypromine significantly increased the latency to paradoxical sleep onset, but did not decrease the amount of paradoxical sleep. The results are similar to the effect these drugs have on sleep in man, and sleep patterns after reserpine are similar to the sleep patterns of certain patients with psychotic depressive illness, suggesting that the common sleep patterns may in both cases represent an underlying deficiency of noradrenalin. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.