Increased slow wave sleep with 5-HT2 receptor antagonists: detection by ambulatory EEG recording and automatic sleep stage analysis

Abstract

The effect on slow wave sleep (SWS) of 5-HT antagonists with different affinities for 5-HT₁ and 5-HT₂ receptors was investigated using ambulatory EEG monitoring in normal volunteers. The selective 5-HT ₂ antagonists, ritanserin and cypropheptadine, increased SWS while the non-selective 5-HT antagonist metergoline did not. The histamine H ₁-receptor antagonist, mepyramine, was similarly without effect on SWS. These findings suggest that home ambulatory monitoring with automatic sleep stage analysis may be useful in detecting the effect of selective 5-HT ₂ receptor antagonists on SWS.