Olanzapine and clozapine differently affect sleep in patients with schizophrenia: results from a double-blind, polysomnographic study and review of the literature

Analysis of clinical studies on clozapine from 2012-2022

Clozapine has been considered the "gold standard" in the treatment of schizophrenia for many years. Clozapine has a superior effect, particularly in the treatment of negative symptoms and suicidal behaviour. However, due to its numerous adverse reactions, clozapine is mainly used for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The aim of this paper is to analyze the results of clinical studies on clozapine from 2012-2022. PubMed was used as the database. Sixty-four studies were included and categorised by topic. The pharmacokinetic properties of clozapine tablets and a clozapine suspension solution did not differ markedly. Clozapine was superior to olanzapine and risperidone in reducing aggression and depression. A long-term study showed that metabolic parameters changed comparably with olanzapine and clozapine after 8 years. Risperidone and ziprasidone can be used as an alternative to clozapine. Scopolamine, atropine drops, and metoclopramide are effective in the treatment of clozapine-induced hypersalivation. Eight drugs, including liraglutide, exenatide, metformin, and orlistat, are potentially effective in the treatment of clozapine-induced weight gain. Ziprasidone, haloperidol, and aripiprazole showed a positive effect on symptoms when added to clozapine. No investigated drug was superior to clozapine for the treatment of schizophrenia. Ziprasidone and risperidone can also be used well for the treatment of schizophrenia. In the treatment of clozapine-induced hypersalivation and weight gain, some drugs proved to be effective.

Olanzapine for young PEople with aNorexia nervosa (OPEN): A protocol for an open-label feasibility study

INTRODUCTION

Antipsychotics are routinely prescribed off-label for anorexia nervosa (AN) despite limited evidence. This article presents a protocol of a study aiming to assess the feasibility of a future definitive trial on olanzapine in young people with AN.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In an open-label, one-armed feasibility study, 55 patients with AN or atypical AN, aged 12-24, receiving outpatient, inpatient or day-care treatment who are considered for olanzapine treatment will be recruited from NHS sites based in England. Assessments will be conducted at screening, baseline and at 8-, 16 weeks, 6- and 12 months. Primary feasibility parameters will be proportions of patients who agree to take olanzapine and who adhere to treatment and complete study assessments. Qualitative methods will be used to explore acceptability of the intervention and study design. Secondary feasibility parameters will be changes in body mass index, psychopathology, side effects, health-related quality of life, carer burden and proportion of participants who would enrol in a future randomised controlled trial. The study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research via Health Technology Assessment programme.

DISCUSSION

Olanzapine for young PEople with aNorexia nervosa will inform a future randomised controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of prescribing olanzapine in young people with AN.

Comprehensive dissection of prevalence rates, sex differences, and blood level-dependencies of clozapine-associated adverse drug reactions

Clozapine is often underused due to concerns about adverse drug reactions (ADRs) but studies into their prevalences are inconclusive. We therefore comprehensively examined prevalences of clozapine-associated ADRs in individuals with schizophrenia and demographic and clinical factors associated with their occurrence. Data from a multi-center study (n = 698 participants) were collected. The mean number of ADRs during clozapine treatment was 4.8, with 2.4 % of participants reporting no ADRs. The most common ADRs were hypersalivation (74.6 %), weight gain (69.3 %), and increased sleep necessity (65.9 %), all of which were more common in younger participants. Participants with lower BMI prior to treatment were more likely to experience significant weight gain (>10 %). Constipation occurred more frequently with higher clozapine blood levels and doses. There were no differences in ADR prevalence rates between participants receiving clozapine monotherapy and polytherapy. These findings emphasize the high prevalence of clozapine-associated ADRs and highlight several demographic and clinical factors contributing to their occurrence. By understanding these factors, clinicians can better anticipate and manage clozapine-associated ADRs, leading to improved treatment outcomes and patient well-being.

Eco-friendly synthesis of new olanzapine derivatives and evaluation of their anticancer potential

New derivatives of the known antipsychotic drug olanzapine have been obtained as potential compounds with anticancer activity in two metabolically different breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 and triple negative MDA-MB-231. The compounds were obtained under phase transfer catalysis (PTC) in the presence of microwave irradiation (MW) or ultrasound (")))"), evaluating the effect of solvents such as dimethylformamide, water, or choline chloride/urea (natural deep eutectic solvent, NaDES). In the best option, the compounds were obtained within 2 minutes with a yield of 57-86% in MW. Two of the obtained compounds which have a naphthalimide moiety and a pentyl (7) or hexyl chain (8) show pronounced cytotoxicity. Interestingly, neither olanzapine nor desmethylolanzapine (DOLA), which was one of the substrates for the synthesis reaction, showed any significant activity in the study.

Adverse effects of antipsychotics on sleep in patients with schizophrenia. Systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of adverse effects on sleep in patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotic treatment.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Central, Embase, Toxline, Ebsco, Virtual Health Library, Web of Science, SpringerLink, and in Database of abstracts of Reviews of Effects of Randomized Clinical Trials to identify eligible studies published from January 1990 to October 2021. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the CONSORT list, and the Cochrane bias tool. Network meta-analysis was performed using the Bayesian random-effects model, with multivariate meta-regression to assess the association of interest.

Results

87 randomized clinical trials were identified that met the inclusion criteria, and 70 articles were included in the network meta-analysis. Regarding the methodological quality of the studies, 47 had a low or moderate bias risk. The most common adverse effects on sleep reported in the studies were insomnia, somnolence, and sedation. The results of the network meta-analysis showed that ziprasidone was associated with an increased risk of insomnia (OR, 1.56; 95% credible interval CrI, 1.18-2.06). Several of the included antipsychotics were associated with a significantly increased risk of somnolence; haloperidol (OR, 1.90; 95% CrI, 1.12-3.22), lurasidone (OR, 2.25; 95% CrI, 1.28-3.97) and ziprasidone (OR, 1.79; 95% CrI, 1.06-3.02) had the narrowest confidence intervals. In addition, perphenazine (OR, 5.33; 95% CrI, 1.92-14.83), haloperidol (OR, 2.61; 95% CrI, 1.14-5.99), and risperidone (OR, 2.41; 95% CrI, 1.21-4.80) were associated with an increased risk of sedation compared with placebo, and other antipsychotics did not differ. According to the SUCRAs for insomnia, chlorpromazine was ranked as the lowest risk of insomnia (57%), followed by clozapine (20%), while flupentixol (26 %) and perospirone (22.5%) were associated with a lower risk of somnolence. On the other hand, amisulpride (89.9%) was the safest option to reduce the risk of sedation.

Discussion

Insomnia, sedation, and somnolence were the most frequent adverse effects on sleep among the different antipsychotics administered. The evidence shows that chlorpromazine, clozapine, flupentixol, perospirone, and amisulpride had favorable safety profiles. In contrast, ziprasidone, perphenazine, haloperidol, and risperidone were the least safe for sleep.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42017078052, identifier: PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017078052.

The Feature of Sleep Spindle Deficits in Patients With Schizophrenia With and Without Auditory Verbal Hallucinations

BACKGROUND

Previous sleep electroencephalography studies have detected abnormalities in sleep architecture and sleep spindle deficits in schizophrenia (SCZ), but the consistency of these results was not robust, which might be due to the small sample size and the influence of clinical factors such as the various medication therapies and symptom heterogeneity. This study aimed to regard auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) as a pointcut to downscale the heterogeneity of SCZ and explore whether some sleep architecture and spindle parameters were more severely impaired in SCZ patients with AVHs compared with those without AVHs.

METHODS

A total of 90 SCZ patients with AVHs, 92 SCZ patients without AVHs, and 91 healthy control subjects were recruited, and parameters of sleep architecture and spindle activities were compared between groups. The correlation between significant sleep parameters and clinical indicators was analyzed.

RESULTS

Deficits of sleep spindle activities at prefrontal electrodes and intrahemispheric spindle coherence were observed in both AVH and non-AVH groups, several of which were more serious in the AVH group. In addition, deficits of spindle activities at central and occipital electrodes and interhemispheric spindle coherence mainly manifested accompanying AVH symptoms, most of which were retained in the medication-naive first-episode patients, and were associated with Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the underlying mechanism of spindle deficits might be different between SCZ patients with and without AVHs. In the future, the sleep feature of SCZ patients with different symptoms and the influence of clinical factors, such as medication therapy, should be further illustrated.

Clozapine is the approved option in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and requires careful management

Clozapine is the only agent approved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but is underprescribed. Its adverse drug event (ADE) profile and patient monitoring requirements can discourage its use, but the benefits of clozapine generally outweigh its risks, as most ADEs are manageable. Careful patient assessment, gradual titration, minimum effective dosages, therapeutic drug monitoring and checks of neutrophils, cardiac enzymes and ADE symptoms are recommended. Neutropenia is common but does not necessarily warrant permanent clozapine cessation.

Olanzapine for the Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Review to Identify the Best Way to Administer the Drug

Common treatment methods for malignant tumors include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, etc., among which chemotherapy plays an important role. However, chemotherapy brings corresponding side effects while killing tumor cells, and nausea and vomiting are the most common adverse reactions induced by chemotherapy. It not only affects the patient's appetite, resulting in malnutrition and electrolyte disturbances, but also reduces the patient's compliance with treatment, which further aggravates the disease. Thus, it is important to quickly prevent and cure nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy (CINV). In addition, with the continuous development of medicine, more and more antiemetic drugs have been developed. At present, the most common antiemetic agents for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are NK-1R antagonists, 5-HT3R antagonists, and dexamethasone. Surprisingly, olanzapine, often used as a psychotropic drug, has been found to be an effective antiemetic and is similar to other regimens on the safety of medicine. However, although there are numerous studies on the antiemetic effects of olanzapine, its comprehensive application remains unclear. Therefore, this review will elaborate the antiemetic effect of olanzapine in terms of the antiemetic mechanism and the safety, economic cost, dose, administration time, and drug delivery aspects.

The Benefits of Olanzapine in Palliating Symptoms

OPINION STATEMENT

Olanzapine has become a major drug in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting as a prophylactic agent. In addition, a recent randomized trial has demonstrated its benefits in treating nausea and vomiting associated with advanced cancer. The added benefit to olanzapine is that it also stimulates appetite. As a result, since it treats multiple symptoms associated with advanced cancer, it is likely to become the antiemetic of choice in palliative care at least in the USA. The added benefit of treating insomnia and the avoidance of benzodiazepines should place olanzapine in at the top of the list of drugs to use for patients who do complain of insomnia. There is no good evidence that it potentiates the respiratory depression of opioids unlike benzodiazepines. The evidence is weak that olanzapine in as an adjuvant analgesic. Hopefully, future trials will explore this in greater depth. The benefits of adding olanzapine to potent opioids are that it may reduce craving, drug cues, and opioid misuse. Other symptoms like anxiety and depression may be addressed by the addition of olanzapine to standard antidepressants.

Pharmacological treatment of eating disorders, comorbid mental health problems, malnutrition and physical health consequences

The pharmacological treatment of patients with an eating disorder (ED) often includes medications to treat their ED, comorbid mental health problems, malnutrition and the physical health problems resulting from it. The currently approved pharmacological treatment options for EDs are limited to fluoxetine for bulimia nervosa (BN) and - in some countries - lisdexamfetamine for binge eating disorder (BED). Thus, there are no approved pharmacological options for anorexia nervosa (AN), even though study results for olanzapine and dronabinol are promising. Topiramate might be an additional future option for the treatment of BN and BED. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), mirtazapine and bupropion could be considered for the treatment of comorbid unipolar depression. However, AN and BN are contraindications for bupropion. For ED patients with a manic episode, we recommend olanzapine in AN and risperidone in BN and BED; whereas for bipolar depression, olanzapine (plus fluoxetine) seems appropriate in AN and lamotrigine in BN and BED. Acute anxiety or suicidality may warrant benzodiazepine treatment with lorazepam. Proton-pump inhibitors, gastroprokinetic drugs, laxatives and hormones can alleviate certain physical health problems caused by EDs. Therapeutic drug monitoring, pharmacogenomic testing, a more restrictive use of "pro re nata" (PRN) medication, an interdisciplinary treatment approach, shared decision making (SDM) and the formulation of common treatment goals by the patients, their family or carers and clinicians could improve treatment success and safety. Novel genetic, immunological, microbiome and brain imaging research as well as new pharmacological developments like the use of psychedelics, stimulants, novel monoaminergic drugs, hormone analogues and drugs which enhance the effects of psychotherapy may extend our therapeutic options in the near future.

Disrupted Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Schizophrenia and Their Interaction With Dopamine Signaling

Sleep and circadian rhythm disruption (SCRD) is a common feature of schizophrenia, and is associated with symptom severity and patient quality of life. It is commonly manifested as disturbances to the sleep/wake cycle, with sleep abnormalities occurring in up to 80% of patients, making it one of the most common symptoms of this disorder. Severe circadian misalignment has also been reported, including non-24 h periods and phase advances and delays. In parallel, there are alterations to physiological circadian parameters such as body temperature and rhythmic hormone production. At the molecular level, alterations in the rhythmic expression of core clock genes indicate a dysfunctional circadian clock. Furthermore, genetic association studies have demonstrated that mutations in several clock genes are associated with a higher risk of schizophrenia. Collectively, the evidence strongly suggests that sleep and circadian disruption is not only a symptom of schizophrenia but also plays an important causal role in this disorder. The alterations in dopamine signaling that occur in schizophrenia are likely to be central to this role. Dopamine is well-documented to be involved in the regulation of the sleep/wake cycle, in which it acts to promote wakefulness, such that elevated dopamine levels can disturb sleep. There is also evidence for the influence of dopamine on the circadian clock, such as through entrainment of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), and dopamine signaling itself is under circadian control. Therefore dopamine is closely linked with sleep and the circadian system; it appears that they have a complex, bidirectional relationship in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, such that disturbances to one exacerbate abnormalities in the other. This review will provide an overview of the evidence for a role of SCRD in schizophrenia, and examine the interplay of this with altered dopamine signaling. We will assess the evidence to suggest common underlying mechanisms in the regulation of sleep/circadian rhythms and the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Improvements in sleep are associated with improvements in symptoms, along with quality of life measures such as cognitive ability and employability. Therefore the circadian system holds valuable potential as a new therapeutic target for this disorder.

British Association for Psychopharmacology consensus statement on evidence-based treatment of insomnia, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disorders: An update

This British Association for Psychopharmacology guideline replaces the original version published in 2010, and contains updated information and recommendations. A consensus meeting was held in London in October 2017 attended by recognised experts and advocates in the field. They were asked to provide a review of the literature and identification of the standard of evidence in their area, with an emphasis on meta-analyses, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials where available, plus updates on current clinical practice. Each presentation was followed by discussion, aiming to reach consensus where the evidence and/or clinical experience was considered adequate, or otherwise to flag the area as a direction for future research. A draft of the proceedings was circulated to all speakers for comments, which were incorporated into the final statement.

Facets of shared decision-making on drug treatment for adults with an eating disorder

Shared decision-making (SDM) means that clinicians and the patient make decisions about the treatment together. Regarding drug treatment in eating disorders (EDs), such decisions may include psychopharmacological treatment for the ED itself, medications for potential co-morbid psychiatric disorders, pharmacological strategies to alleviate the health consequences of an ED, or 'pro re nata' (PRN) medication which is given in acute care when required. Decisions regarding drug treatment in EDs should be specific in terms of the active pharmacological substance, its dose, its route of administration, and the duration of treatment. Decisions should be made with regard to the specific health risks of patients with EDs and the entire treatment approach, and should take alternative measures, additional therapies, and specific combinations of therapies into account. The differences in the expectations of patients, carers, and clinicians towards drug treatment, the lack of specific suggestions in clinical practice guidelines, and the lack of approved psychopharmacological treatment options make SDM necessary, but also a challenge. However, SDM may be limited due to the patient's impaired insight or limited capacity due to the ED. Thus, the legal framework must be taken into consideration.

Drugs for Insomnia beyond Benzodiazepines: Pharmacology, Clinical Applications, and Discovery

Although the GABAergic benzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone, and zaleplon) are FDA-approved for insomnia disorders with a strong evidence base, they have many side effects, including cognitive impairment, tolerance, rebound insomnia upon discontinuation, car accidents/falls, abuse, and dependence liability. Consequently, the clinical use of off-label drugs and novel drugs that do not target the GABAergic system is increasing. The purpose of this review is to analyze the neurobiological and clinical evidence of pharmacological treatments of insomnia, excluding the BZDs and Z-drugs. We analyzed the melatonergic agonist drugs, agomelatine, prolonged-release melatonin, ramelteon, and tasimelteon; the dual orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant; the modulators of the α₂δ subunit of voltage-sensitive calcium channels, gabapentin and pregabalin; the H₁ antagonist, low-dose doxepin; and the histamine and serotonin receptor antagonists, amitriptyline, mirtazapine, trazodone, olanzapine, and quetiapine. The pharmacology and mechanism of action of these treatments and the evidence-base for the use of these drugs in clinical practice is outlined along with novel pipelines. There is evidence to recommend suvorexant and low-dose doxepin for sleep maintenance insomnia; there is also sufficient evidence to recommend ramelteon for sleep onset insomnia. Although there is limited evidence for the use of the quetiapine, trazodone, mirtazapine, amitriptyline, pregabalin, gabapentin, agomelatine, and olanzapine as treatments for insomnia disorder, these drugs may improve sleep while successfully treating comorbid disorders, with a different side effect profile than the BZDs and Z-drugs. The unique mechanism of action of each drug allows for a more personalized and targeted medical management of insomnia.

Persistent tachycardia in clozapine treated patients: A 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram study

Tachycardia is associated with cardiovascular mortality. Tachycardia is also a known clozapine adverse effect. However, whether clozapine-associated tachycardia is persistent is not known. Thirty clozapine-treated patients with clinical tachycardia were investigated with 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG). Baseline peripheral heart rate (HR) was 106.7±7.8. The ambulatory ECG 24-hour-HR was 98.7±9.7. Baseline HR and 24-hour-HR correlated strongly (r=0.74, p=0.000003). Daytime HR was 106.4±9.9 and nighttime HR 89.2±12.0. Low dose bisoprolol reduced HR significantly. The high 24-hour-HR indicates a persistent tachycardia. Tachycardia should not discourage from clozapine use but the findings indicate a need of guidelines for detection and treatment of clozapine-associated tachycardia.

Pharmacologic Treatment Options for Insomnia in Patients with Schizophrenia

Background: Symptoms of sleep disorders, such as disturbances in sleep initiation and continuity, are commonly reported in patients with schizophrenia, especially in the acute phase of illness. Studies have shown that up to 80% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia report symptoms of insomnia. Sleep disturbances have been shown to increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction and relapse in patients with schizophrenia. Currently, there are no medications approved specifically for the treatment of insomnia in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A literature search was performed through OVID and PubMed to compile publications of pharmacotherapy options studied to treat insomnia in patients with schizophrenia. Articles were reviewed from 1 January 2000 through 1 March 2018 with some additional earlier articles selected if deemed by the authors to be particularly relevant. Results: Pharmacotherapies collected from the search results that were reviewed and evaluated included melatonin, eszopiclone, sodium oxybate, and antipsychotics. Conclusions: Overall, this review confirmed that there are a few evidence-based options to treat insomnia in patients with schizophrenia, including selecting a more sedating second-generation antipsychotic such as paliperidone, or adding melatonin or eszopiclone. Further randomized controlled trials are needed.

Effect of Olanzapine on Clinical and Polysomnography Profiles in Patients with Schizophrenia

Acute and short-term administration of olanzapine has a favorable effect on sleep in schizophrenia patients. This study aimed to clarify the effect of olanzapine on polysomnographic profiles of schizophrenia patients during the acute phase of illness after controlling for previous drug exposure. Twenty-five drug-naïve or drug-free schizophrenia patients were assessed at baseline and after six weeks of olanzapine treatment on Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser (UKU) side-effect rating scale and a whole-night polysomnography; fifteen patients completed the study. There was a significant reduction in all psychopathological variables with maximum reduction in PANSS total, BPRS total, and PANSS positive scores. A significant increase in total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), nonrapid eye movement (NREM) stage 1 duration, stage 3 duration, stage 4 duration, and stage 4 percentage of TST, number of rapid eye movement (REM) periods, REM duration, and REM percentage of TST was observed. REM latency at baseline inversely predicted the reduction in BPRS total and PANSS total and positive scores. In summary, short-term treatment with olanzapine produced significant improvement in clinical and polysomnography profiles of patients with schizophrenia with shorter REM latency predicting a good clinical response.

Psychopharmacological advances in eating disorders

INTRODUCTION

Anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) are the primary eating disorders (EDs). The only psychopharmacological treatment options for EDs with approval in some countries include fluoxetine for BN and lisdexamfetamine for BED. Given the high comorbidity and genetic correlations with other psychiatric disorders, it seems possible that novel medications for these conditions might also be effective in EDs. Areas covered: The current scientific literature has increased our understanding of how medication could be beneficial for patients with EDs on a molecular, functional and behavioral level. On the basis of theoretical considerations about neurotransmitters, hormones and neural circuits, possible drug targets for the treatment of EDs may include signal molecules and receptors of the self-regulatory system such as serotonin, norepinephrine and glutamate, the hedonic system including opioids, cannabinoids and dopamine and the hypothalamic homeostatic system including histamine, ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1. Expert commentary: The latest research points to an involvement of both the immune and the metabolic systems in the pathophysiology of EDs and highlights the importance of the microbiome. Therefore, the next few years may unveil drug targets for EDs not just inside and outside of the brain, but possibly even outside of the human body.

Schizophrenia and sleep disorders: links, risks, and management challenges

Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder that has a massive, long-lasting negative impact on the patients as well as society. While positive symptoms (i.e., delusions and hallucinations), negative symptoms (i.e., anhedonia, social withdrawal), and cognitive impairments are traditionally considered the most prominent features of this disorder, the role of sleep and sleep disturbances has gained increasing prominence in clinical practice. Indeed, the vast majority of patients with schizophrenia report sleep abnormalities, which tend to precede illness onset and can predict an acute exacerbation of psychotic symptoms. Furthermore, schizophrenia patients often have a comorbid sleep disorder, including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or periodic limb movement disorder. Despite accumulating data, the links between sleep disorders and schizophrenia have not been thoroughly examined, in part because they are difficult to disentangle, as numerous factors contribute to their comorbidity, including medication status. Additionally, sleep disorders are often not the primary focus of clinicians treating this population, despite studies suggesting that comorbid sleep disorders carry their own unique risks, including worsening of psychotic symptoms and poorer quality of life. There is also limited information about effective management strategies for schizophrenia patients affected by significant sleep disturbances and/or sleep disorders. To begin addressing these issues, the present review will systematically examine the literature on sleep disorders and schizophrenia, focusing on studies related to 1) links between distinct sleep disorders and schizophrenia; 2) risks unique to patients with a comorbid sleep disorder; and 3) and management challenges and strategies.

The effect of second-generation antipsychotic drugs on sleep parameters in patients with unipolar or bipolar disorder

Sleep disturbances predominantly take the form of insomnia in patients with unipolar disorder, while patients with bipolar disorder show a decreased need for sleep. Sleep impairment in these patients is a risk factor for the development of a major depressive episode and suicidal behavior. Administration of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone as augmentation therapy or monotherapy to unipolar and bipolar disorder patients, respectively, has been shown to improve sleep continuity and sleep architecture. Thus, their use by these patients could ameliorate their sleep disorder.

Impairment of sleep-related memory consolidation in schizophrenia: relevance of sleep spindles?

OBJECTIVES

Deficits in declarative memory performance are among the most severe neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia and contribute to poor clinical outcomes. The importance of sleep for brain plasticity and memory consolidation is widely accepted, and sleep spindles seem to play an important role in these processes. The aim of this study was to test the associations of sleep spindles and picture memory consolidation in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.

METHODS

We studied 16 patients with schizophrenia on stable antipsychotic medication (mean age ± standard deviation, 29.4 ± 6.4 years) and 16 healthy controls matched for age and educational level. Sleep was recorded and scored according to American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) standard criteria. We performed a picture recognition paradigm and compared recognition performance for neutral and emotional pictures in sleep and wake conditions.

RESULTS

Recognition accuracy was better in healthy controls than in patients with schizophrenia in the sleep and wake conditions. However, the memory-promoting effect of sleep was significantly lower in schizophrenia patients than in controls. Sleep spindle activity was reduced in patients, and sleep spindle density was correlated with sleep-associated facilitation of recognition accuracy for neutral pictures.

CONCLUSION

Reduced sleep spindles seem to play an important role as a possible mechanism or biomarker for impaired sleep-related memory consolidation in patients with schizophrenia, and are a new target for treatment to improve memory functions and clinical outcomes in these patients.

Sleep architecture and cognitive changes in olanzapine-treated patients with depression: a double blind randomized placebo controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Disturbance in sleep quality is a symptom of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) and thus improving quality of sleep is an important aspect of successful treatment. Here, a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study examined the effect of olanzapine (an atypical antipsychotic) augmentation therapy on sleep architecture, specifically slow wave sleep (SWS), in the treatment of depression. The effect of olanzapine augmentation therapy on other features of sleep (e.g., sleep continuity) and depression (e.g., illness severity and cognitive function) were also determined.

METHODS

Patients currently experiencing a major depressive episode and who were on a stable medication were included. Sleep architecture was measured by overnight ambulatory polysomnography. Illness severity was determined using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Cognitive function was examined using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Spatial Span (SSP), and Reaction Time (RTI) tasks. Polysomnographs, clinical measures and cognitive tests were administered at baseline, after 2-4 days of treatment and after 28-31 days of treatment. Twenty-five patients participated in the study (N = 10, N = 15 for placebo and olanzapine treated groups respectively).

RESULTS

The primary objective of the study was to assess the objective (polysomnographic) changes in sleep quality, defined as changes in SWS, following olanzapine treatment for depression. Latency to but not duration of SWS was found to significantly differ between olanzapine- and placebo-treated participants (Hedge's g: 0.97, 0.13 respectively). A significant improvement in olanzapine-treated participants over placebo-treated participants was observed in secondary outcome measures, including sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and sleep latency. Secondary objectives assessed the subjective changes in sleep quality parameters and correlated them with measures of illness severity and changes in cognition. MADRS scores were significantly improved in olanzapine-treated participants over time but not more than placebo treatment. There was no significant difference between olanzapine- and placebo-treated participants in SWM, SSP or RTI tasks.

CONCLUSIONS

Olanzapine augmentation treatment generally did not improve SWS but did improve sleep continuity and depression. Olanzapine may be one of few medications that improve sleep continuity, thus directly targeting symptoms of depression.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00520507.