Sleep in early course psychosis patients and their first-degree relatives

Poster B17, Tuesday, October%209, 11:30%20am%20-%201:00%20pm, Essex%20Ballroom

Dan Denis1, Erina Sato1, Olivia Larson2,3, Erin Kohnke2,3, Katherine Stewart1, Nimita Iyer1, Elaine Parr1, Matcheri Keshavan1, Dara Manoach2,3, Robert Stickgold1; 1Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School, 2Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, 3Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging

Accumulating evidence suggests that abnormal sleep is a key feature of schizophrenia. In particular, a deficit in sleep spindles has been frequently reported, with this deficit being associated with impaired cognition and increased positive symptoms. Most work however has focused on chronically medicated patients, and it is unclear whether these deficits are seen in early course, minimally medicated patients. We report here on initial data collected in an investigation into sleep physiology in early course psychosis patients and their first-degree relatives, and the association between sleep and cognitive and symptom measures. Participants to date include 12 early course psychosis patients (n = 8 schizophrenia (SZ), n = 4 non-schizophrenia psychosis (NSZ)), 14 first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients (FH), and 14 healthy controls (HC). Ongoing analyses focus first on differences in sleep architecture between the groups. Second, differences in sleep spindle activity will be investigated. It is hypothesized that the SZ and FH groups will show reduced spindle density compared to NSZ and HC. Finally, spindles measures will be correlated with measures of cognitive functioning and symptoms. It is expected that lower spindle density will be associated with reduced cognitive functioning and increased positive symptoms. By focusing on early course patients who have received minimal medication and unaffected first-degree relatives, this study will be important in teasing apart effects of medication and illness chronicity from biological differences between patients, relatives and controls.

Topic Area: Neurocognition

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