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Neurobiological and functional consequences of chronic partial sleep deprivation : the role of the serotonergic system

(2007) Roman, Viktor

Sleep loss is a commonly occurring and growing problem in human society. It is mostly related to work, stress and other factors associated with an overactive modern life style. A number of studies have indicated that sleep loss may be a risk factor for psychopathologies including depression. Mood disorders are often linked to alterations in neurotransmitter systems. In particular, an impaired serotonergic signaling has been implicated as an underlying mechanism for depression. The present work aims to establish whether sleep loss leads to neurobiological changes which are also characteristic to mood disorders. Therefore, the major questions of this project are: does sleep loss affect the brain’s serotonergic system, and does it eventually lead to impairments in the functional outputs of the brain in a manner that is similar to mood disorders? In this framework, we studied how sleep loss affects the serotonin-1A receptor system; our findings about this system and its interactions with other systems are discussed in Chapters 2, 3, 5 and 7. As functional outputs of the brain, we examined neuroendocrine stress reactivity, emotionality and neuronal plasticity. The results of these studies are discussed in Chapters 4, 6 and 8, respectively.

	Title and contents
	Chapter 1
	Chapter 2
	Chapter 3
	Chapter 4
	Chapter 5
	Chapter 6
	Chapter 7
	Chapter 8
	Chapter 9
	References
	Samenvatting
	Summary in Hungarian
	Acknowledgements
	Curriculum vitae
	List of publications
	List of abbreviations
	Complete thesis