Influence of aging on the improvement of subjective sleep quality by atypical antipsychotic drugs in patients with schizophrenia: comparison of middle-aged and older adults.
OBJECTIVE
The authors investigated the influence of aging on the improvement of subjective sleep quality by atypical antipsychotic drugs in patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Subjects were 86 inpatients (mean age: 61.4 years) who had been receiving treatment with conventional antipsychotic drugs and who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. Their antipsychotic medication was changed from conventional antipsychotics to one of four atypical antipsychotic drugs (olanzapine, perospirone, quetiapine, or risperidone). Patients were grouped by age (older or younger than 65 years). Subjective sleep quality and psychopathology were assessed twice: 1) at baseline, and 2) 8 weeks after switching to the atypical antipsychotic drugs. Subjective sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to measure psychopathology.


RESULTS
The proportion of the patients who experienced improved subjective sleep quality was significantly higher in the elderly than in the middle-aged group. Logistic-regression analysis revealed that the improvement in subjective sleep quality through administration of atypical antipsychotic drugs was predicted by increased age, daytime dysfunction, and longer sleep latency at baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that atypical antipsychotic drugs are beneficial to the quality of sleep in elderly patients with schizophrenia.
Yamashita
Hidehisa
H
Dept. of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan. hidehisa@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Mori
Kazuhiko
K
Nagao
Masatsugu
M
Okamoto
Yasumasa
Y
Morinobu
Shigeru
S
Yamawaki
Shigeto
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054833:Isoindoles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077152:Olanzapine; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000187:drug effects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D018967:Risperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D007211:Indoles; D054833:Isoindoles; D013844:Thiazoles; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D018967:Risperidone; C065533:perospirone; D000077152:Olanzapine