Skip to main content

Seniors With Insomnia More Vulnerable to Inflammatory Challenge-Induced Depression

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 21, 2025.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Older adults with insomnia are more vulnerable to depressive mood and symptoms in response to inflammatory exposure, according to a study published online July 16 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Michael R. Irwin, M.D., from the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined whether inflammatory exposure induces greater increases in depressive mood and symptoms in older adults with insomnia disorder versus those without insomnia in a parallel-condition randomized clinical trial. The trial included 160 nondepressed adults aged 60 years or older (53 with insomnia disorder and 107 without insomnia). Participant groups were randomly assigned to two conditions: endotoxin (79 participants: 26 with insomnia and 53 controls) or placebo (81 participants: 27 with insomnia and 54 controls).

The researchers found that endotoxin induced increases in Profiles of Mood States depression subscale (POMS-D) to a significantly greater extent compared with placebo in those with insomnia versus control, with a similar effect seen for observer-rated POMS-D mood. In addition, there were clinically meaningful increases seen in observer-rated measures of depressive symptoms. In both groups, similar increases in inflammatory cytokines were induced by endotoxin. In moderation analyses, inflammatory response was associated with increases in POMS-D in the insomnia group but not the control group.

"Insomnia not only robs older adults of rest but also primes their immune system to make them uniquely vulnerable to depression when faced with inflammation," Irwin said in a statement. "Treatments targeted at this inflammation-related depression may prevent depression and benefit these patients to improve their overall quality of life."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Older Adults Can Regain Well-Being

THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2025 -- Older adults can regain well-being, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in PLOS ONE. Mabel Ho, Ph.D., and Esme Fuller-Thomson, Ph.D...

Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Aids Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder

THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2025 -- Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) shows long-term safety and efficacy for treating symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), according to a study...

Adherence to Safe Sleep Practices Declines During, After Infant Illness

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2025 -- Reported adherence to safe sleep practices appears to be low among caregivers of infants presenting to the emergency department for low-acuity illness...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.