Sleep quality and architecture in quetiapine, risperidone, or never-treated schizophrenia patients

Medications Used for Pediatric Insomnia

Pediatric insomnia can affect physical and mental health and cause cognitive deficits, social deficits and decrease quality of life. There are no Food and Drug Administration approved medications approved for pediatric insomnia. Pharmacologic interventions derive mostly from adult data or pediatric case reports. This review focuses on Food and Drug Administration approved prescription drugs (in adults), over-the-counter drugs, and off-label pediatric insomnia drugs. This review helps the clinician learn general principles, practice guidelines, and pharmacologic considerations for medication selection in the pediatric population. Pharmacologic management should be considered in combination with behavior therapy, which is proven to have long-lasting outcomes.

Altered Sleep Oscillations as Neurophysiological Biomarkers of Schizophrenia

Sleep spindles and slow waves are the two main oscillatory activities occurring during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Here, we will first describe the electrophysiological characteristics of these sleep oscillations along with the neurophysiological and molecular mechanisms underlying their generation and synchronization in the healthy brain. We will then review the extant evidence of deficits in sleep spindles and, to a lesser extent, slow waves, including in slow wave-spindle coupling, in patients with Schizophrenia (SCZ) across the course of the disorder, from at-risk to chronic stages. Next, we will discuss how these sleep oscillatory deficits point to defects in neuronal circuits within the thalamocortical network as well as to alterations in molecular neurotransmission implicating the GABAergic and glutamatergic systems in SCZ. Finally, after explaining how spindle and slow waves may represent neurophysiological biomarkers with predictive, diagnostic, and prognostic potential, we will present novel pharmacological and neuromodulatory interventions aimed at restoring sleep oscillatory deficits in SCZ, which in turn may serve as target engagement biomarkers to ameliorate the clinical symptoms and the quality of life of individuals affected by this devastating brain disorder.

Medications Used for Pediatric Insomnia

Pediatric insomnia can affect physical and mental health and cause cognitive deficits, social deficits and decrease quality of life. There are no Food and Drug Administration approved medications approved for pediatric insomnia. Pharmacologic interventions derive mostly from adult data or pediatric case reports. This review focuses on Food and Drug Administration approved prescription drugs (in adults), over-the-counter drugs, and off-label pediatric insomnia drugs. This review helps the clinician learn general principles, practice guidelines, and pharmacologic considerations for medication selection in the pediatric population. Pharmacologic management should be considered in combination with behavior therapy, which is proven to have long-lasting outcomes.

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.

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.

Pharmacological Treatment for Long-Term Patients with Schizophrenia and Its Effects on Sleep in Daily Clinical Practice: A Pilot Study

Background: Pharmacological treatment is still the key intervention in the disease management of long-term patients with schizophrenia; however, how it affects sleep and whether gender differences exist remains unclear. Methods: Forty-six long-term outpatients with schizophrenia entered the study. The numbers of antipsychotics, sleep medications, antidepressants, and anxiolytics were analyzed. Moreover, all patients were tested using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Correlation analyses were conducted between the medication used and the scores on the two subjective sleep inventories. Results: A large variability, ranging from 0 to 8, in the total number of psychiatric drugs per person was found between the patients. Despite ongoing pharmacological treatment, the patients scored high on the PSQI, but not on the ESS; this indicates that they report problems with sleep, but not with daytime sleepiness. A significant positive correlation between the use of antipsychotics and the ESS score, but not the PSQI score, was found; moreover, no gender differences were found. Conclusions: A large variability exists in the pharmacological treatment of long-term patients with schizophrenia. To date, patients’ sleep problems have been insufficiently treated, and gender differences have not been adequately accounted for in the pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. More and larger international clinical studies are warranted to verify the findings of the present preliminary pilot study before any firm conclusions can be drawn and before any changes to the drug treatment of male and female patients with schizophrenia can be recommended.

In-Home Sleep Recordings in Military Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reveal Less REM and Deep Sleep <1 Hz

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often report suboptimal sleep quality, often described as lack of restfulness for unknown reasons. These experiences are sometimes difficult to objectively quantify in sleep lab assessments. Here, we used a streamlined sleep assessment tool to record in-home 2-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) with concurrent collection of electrodermal activity (EDA) and acceleration. Data from a single forehead channel were transformed into a whole-night spectrogram, and sleep stages were classified using a fully automated algorithm. For this study, 71 control subjects and 60 military-related PTSD subjects were analyzed for percentage of time spent in Light, Hi Deep (1-3 Hz), Lo Deep (<1 Hz), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages, as well as sleep efficiency and fragmentation. The results showed a significant tendency for PTSD sleepers to spend a smaller percentage of the night in REM (p < 0.0001) and Lo Deep (p = 0.001) sleep, while spending a larger percentage of the night in Hi Deep (p < 0.0001) sleep. The percentage of combined Hi+Lo Deep sleep did not differ between groups. All sleepers usually showed EDA peaks during Lo, but not Hi, Deep sleep; however, PTSD sleepers were more likely to lack EDA peaks altogether, which usually coincided with a lack of Lo Deep sleep. Linear regressions with all subjects showed that a decreased percentage of REM sleep in PTSD sleepers was accounted for by age, prazosin, SSRIs and SNRIs (p < 0.02), while decreased Lo Deep and increased Hi Deep in the PTSD group could not be accounted for by any factor in this study (p < 0.005). Linear regression models with only the PTSD group showed that decreased REM correlated with self-reported depression, as measured with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS; p < 0.00001). DASS anxiety was associated with increased REM time (p < 0.0001). This study shows altered sleep patterns in sleepers with PTSD that can be partially accounted for by age and medication use; however, differences in deep sleep related to PTSD could not be linked to any known factor. With several medications [prazosin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs); p < 0.03], as well as SSRIs were associated with less sleep efficiency (b = -3.3 ± 0.95; p = 0.0005) and more sleep fragmentation (b = -1.7 ± 0.51; p = 0.0009). Anti-psychotics were associated with less sleep efficiency (b = -4.9 ± 1.4; p = 0.0004). Sleep efficiency was negatively impacted by SSRIs, antipsychotic medications, and depression (p < 0.008). Increased sleep fragmentation was associated with SSRIs, SNRIs, and anxiety (p < 0.009), while prazosin and antipsychotic medications correlated with decreased sleep fragmentation (p < 0.05).

Low doses of mirtazapine or quetiapine for transient insomnia: A randomised, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial

Low doses of the antidepressant mirtazapine or the neuroleptic quetiapine are often prescribed off-label for insomnia. However, studies on the effects on sleep and hangover effects the following day are scarce. In this randomised, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial, the influence of 7.5 mg mirtazapine and 50 mg quetiapine on both normal sleep and sleep disturbed by acoustic stress (traffic noise) as a model for transient insomnia was assessed. Additionally, hangover effects on next-day alertness and cognitive functioning were examined. A total of 19 healthy men without sleep complaints completed three treatment sessions, each session consisting of three consecutive nights in one of the mirtazapine, quetiapine or placebo conditions. Sleep was assessed using polysomnography and the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Daytime sleepiness and cognitive functioning were assessed using the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, Digit Symbol Substitution Task, Psychomotor Vigilance Task and an addition task. Under acoustic stress, both mirtazapine and quetiapine increased total sleep time by half an hour and reduced the number of awakenings by 35-40% compared to placebo. While quetiapine specifically increased the duration of non-rapid eye movement sleep, stage N2, mirtazapine mainly increased deep sleep stage N3. Subjects reported that both mirtazapine and quetiapine eased getting to sleep and improved sleep quality. Both drugs caused daytime sleepiness and lessened sustained attention. These findings support the use of low doses of mirtazapine and quetiapine for the treatment of insomnia. Further prospective studies on the long-term effects regarding effectiveness and adverse effects are needed.

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.

Combined treatment with quetiapine and sertindole in therapy refractory insomnia after clozapine discontinuation

Insomnia associated with chronic schizophrenia and after clozapine discontinuation represents a common, but mostly not predominant, complaint and often does not respond sufficiently to classical hypnotics. We report the case of a 46-year-old patient with schizophrenia who developed a rebound insomnia confirmed by polysomnography after discontinuation of long-term treatment with clozapine and changing to sertindole therapy. Zolpidem, zolpiclone and chloral hydrate only led to short-term improvement of subjective sleep quality. An add-on therapy with 300 mg quetiapine resulted in improved subjective quality of sleep regarding sleep latency and the number of nocturnal awakenings. The combination of the two neuroleptics did not lead to increased QTc intervals (normal QTc < 450 ms) or metabolic side effects. In conclusion, the combination of sertindole and quetiapine might be a safe and effective combination in therapy-refractory insomnia after clozapine discontinuation in schizophrenia.

[Disturbances of slow-wave sleep and psychiatric disorders]

Slow-wave sleep is defined as sleep stages 3 and 4 that characteristically show slow delta EEG activity during polysomnography. The percentage of slow-wave sleep normally declines with age. Sleep disorders are a common symptom of many psychiatric disorders. In polysomnographic recordings they mostly manifest as disturbances of sleep continuity. In some disorders changes in REM sleep are also found. A reduction of slow-wave sleep has most often been described in patients with depression and addictive disorders. More recent research implicates slow-wave sleep as an important factor in memory consolidation, especially the contents of declarative memory. Psychotropic drugs influence sleep in different ways. Hypnotic substances can reduce the deep sleep stages (e.g. benzodiazepines), whereas 5-HT2C antagonists increase the percentage of slow-wave sleep. Whether a selective impairment/alteration of slow-wave sleep is clinically relevant has not yet been proved.

Pharmacologic treatment of pediatric insomnia

Pediatric insomnia is common in children and adolescents, particularly in children who have comorbid medical, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders, and may be associated with cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial impairments that often result in significant caregiver burden. Although several behavioral interventions for pediatric insomnia are effective, there is a relative paucity of empiric evidence supporting the use of pharmacologic treatment. Sedative/hypnotic drugs are frequently used in clinical practice to treat pediatric insomnia, and guidelines for the use of these medications in general as well as for specific medications have been developed. This review presents expert consensus guidelines for the use of these medications in clinical practice, with a focus on the different classes of pharmacologic agents that are most commonly prescribed.

GABA(B) receptors, schizophrenia and sleep dysfunction: a review of the relationship and its potential clinical and therapeutic implications

Evidence for an intrinsic relationship between sleep, cognition and the symptomatic manifestations of schizophrenia is accumulating. This review presents evidence for the possible utility of GABA(B) receptor agonists for the treatment of subjective and objective sleep abnormalities related to schizophrenia. At the phenotypic level, sleep disturbance occurs in 16-30% of patients with schizophrenia and is related to reduced quality of life and poor coping skills. On the neurophysiological level, studies suggest that sleep deficits reflect a core component of schizophrenia. Specifically, slow-wave sleep deficits, which are inversely correlated with cognition scores, are seen. Moreover, sleep plays an increasingly well documented role in memory consolidation in schizophrenia. Correlations of slow-wave sleep deficits with impaired reaction time and declarative memory have also been reported. Thus, both behavioural insomnia and sleep architecture are critical therapeutic targets in patients with schizophrenia. However, long-term treatment with antipsychotics often results in residual sleep dysfunction and does not improve slow-wave sleep, and adjunctive GABA(A) receptor modulators, such as benzodiazepines and zolpidem, can impair sleep architecture and cognition in schizophrenia. GABA(B) receptor agonists have therapeutic potential in schizophrenia. These agents have minimal effect on rapid eye movement sleep while increasing slow-wave sleep. Preclinical associations with increased expression of genes related to slow-wave sleep production and circadian rhythm function have also been reported. GABA(B) receptor deficits result in a sustained hyperdopaminergic state and can be reversed by a GABA(B) receptor agonist. Genetic, postmortem and electrophysiological studies also associate GABA(B) receptors with schizophrenia. While studies thus far have not shown significant effects, prior focus on the use of GABA(B) receptor agonists has been on the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, with minimal investigation of GABA(B) receptor agonists such as baclofen or gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and their effects on sleep architecture, cognition and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Further study is needed.

Effects of Quetiapine on Sleep in Nonpsychiatric and Psychiatric Conditions

Objective:

To evaluate the use of immediate-release quetiapine for the treatment of insomnia.

Data Sources:

Pre-MEDLINE and MEDLINE were searched (1966 to October 2008) using the terms quetiapine, sleep, insomnia, and antipsychotics.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All studies and case reports evaluating insomnia as a primary endpoint were reviewed.

Data Synthesis:

The role of quetiapine for improving sleep in various patient populations is uncertain. Quetiapine has moderately sedative properties, and closes used in treatment of insomnia have ranged from 12.5 to 800 mg. Results of clinical trials and observations in case studies have revealed possible beneficial effects of quetiapine on several subjective and objective sleep parameters. In most studies, significant improvements in sleep were found in areas of total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and subjective sleep scores. However, some of these results may not be clinically significant. Also, quetiapine has been found to have adverse effects such as periodic leg movements, akathisia, and metabolic complications. Additionally, changes in rapid eye movement (REM) and percentage of REM sleep have been noted in different populations and need further study. Despite quetiapine's sedative properties, current data do not appear to support its use as first-line treatment for sleep complications. However, it may be useful for treatment of insomnia in patients with psychiatric disorders (eg, bipolar, schizophrenia) who do not respond to primary or secondary treatments.

Conclusions:

Further studies are needed to define the placement, dose, and adverse effects of quetiapine for the treatment of sleep problems.