To investigate the clinical effect and action mechanism of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) combined with citalopram on sleep disorders.

One hundred and forty patients with depression suffering from sleep disorder, admitted to Shanxi Bethune Hospital from March 2016 to June 2019, were enrolled and randomly divided into the observation group and the control group according to random number table method with 70 cases in each group. The control group was treated with citalopram, while the observation group was treated with HBO combined with citalopram. After 4 weeks treatment, the clinical effect, depression score, sleep disorder, serum interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and cortisol levels of the two groups were observed.

After 4 weeks of treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group (94.29%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (77.14%), with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of sleep quality, sleep time, and depressive state of the two groups decreased significantly than those before treatment, and the decrease in the observation group was more significant after treatment, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The levels of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and cortisol in the two groups decreased significantly after treatment, and the decrease of the observation group was more significant, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

HBO combined with citalopram could reduce the levels of serum IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and cortisol in patients with depression suffering from sleep disorders, and significantly improve depression and sleep disorders, indicating it can achieve satisfactory clinic effect.

Hyperbaric oxygen; Citalopram; Sleep disorders in depression