title: Disturbed circadian rest-activity cycles in schizophrenia patients: an effect of drugs?
abstract: The circadian rest-activity cycle of schizophrenia patients stabilized for more than a year on monotherapy with a "classical" neuroleptic (haloperidol, flupentixol) or with the atypical neuroleptic clozapine was documented by continuous activity monitoring for 3-7 weeks. In this pilot study, the three patients treated with clozapine had remarkably highly ordered restactivity cycles, whereas the four patients on classical neuroleptics had minor to major circadian rhythm abnormalities. This is the first documentation of circadian rest-activity cycle disturbances in schizophrenia related to class of drug.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric University Clinic, Basel, Switzerland. anna.wirz-justice@unibas.ch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wirz-Justice
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cajochen
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents