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In a groundbreaking study by Northwestern University, neurobiologists have unearthed a stunning discovery: a single night of acute sleep loss can rapidly reverse depression for several days. Published online on November 2, 2023, in the journal Neuron, the research suggests that acute sleep deprivation increases dopamine release and enhances synaptic plasticity, essentially rewiring the brain.
Inverse reports that the researchers found that one all-nighter had effects on the brain comparable to taking the anesthetic ketamine.
While chronic sleep loss is known for its harmful effects, the positive effects of brief sleep loss are less understood. Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, an associate professor of neurobiology and corresponding author of the study, stated, “We found that sleep loss induces a potent antidepressant effect and rewires the brain. This is an important reminder of how our casual activities, such as a sleepless night, can fundamentally alter the brain in as little as a few hours.”
Using mice to investigate the effects of an all-nighter, the researchers observed that the release of dopamine increased during the sleep loss period, and synaptic plasticity was enhanced, maintaining an elevated mood for the next few days. Gen Edge reports that after a sleepless night, the animals’ behavior changed to becoming more aggressive, hyperactive, and hypersexual, compared with control animals.
Additionally, Inverse reports that Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, the study’s senior author and neurobiology professor at Northwestern University, was surprised by “how potent the antidepressant effect was.” She emphasized that this effect could be an evolutionary adaptation, aiding in situations where intense alertness is required over a short period.
“It’s so potent that it resembled her lab’s prior data on ketamine’s antidepressant effects. “It basically looks as good as a drug that is now very hyped about. We saw essentially the same effect magnitude,” said Kozorovitskiy.
Although this study points to the potential benefits of acute sleep loss, Kozorovitskiy advises against using sleep deprivation as an antidepressant strategy due to its transient nature and the overall importance of good sleep for health.
