FRIDAY, Feb. 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Actigraphy measures of sleep phase variability and daily activity amplitude are associated with relapse of depression, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Andre C. Tonon, M.D., Ph.D., from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined whether actigraphy-derived parameters, measured over one to two years, are associated with relapse in an observational cohort study. A referred sample of 102 patients from outpatient psychiatric and primary care clinics across Canada were followed for one to two years; 93 participants contributed approximately 32,000 complete actigraphy days.
The researchers found that baseline lower sleep regularity, lower relative amplitude (RA), lower sleep efficiency, higher wake after sleep onset, and higher nighttime activity were associated with relapse in Cox models adjusted for age, sex, season, and baseline Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score (hazard ratios, 0.46, 0.45, 0.57, 1.77, and 1.86, respectively). Greater composite phase deviation and lower RA were associated with relapse in time-varying models (hazard ratios, 1.76 and 0.45, respectively); RA remained significant even after adjustment for concurrent MADRS scores (hazard ratio, 0.60). Actigraphy significantly differentiated individuals experiencing relapse from those with an ultrastable and unstable clinical course.
"While it has been long recognized that abnormal sleep and activity patterns are associated with greater risk of depression relapse, the ability to passively detect these abnormal patterns using smart sensors opens an exciting new window of opportunity for personalizing the care of conditions that may reoccur, like depression," coauthor Benicio Frey, M.D., Ph.D., also from McMaster University, said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Janssen; the study was partially funded by Janssen Research & Development.