title: Early onset of action and sleep-improving effect are crucial in decreasing suicide risk: the role of quetiapine XR in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression.
abstract: Although the possibilities of antidepressive pharmacotherapy are continuously improving, the rate of nonresponders or partial responders is still relatively high. Suicidal behavior, the most tragic consequence of untreated or unsuccessfully treated depression, commonly observed in the first few weeks of antidepressive treatment before the onset of therapeutic action, is strongly related to certain symptoms of depression like insomnia. The present paper reviews the newly discovered and well-documented antidepressive effect of quetiapine in bipolar and unipolar depression with special focus on its early onset of action and its sleep-improving effects. Both beneficial effects play an important role in the reduction of suicidal risk frequently observed in depressed patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rihmer
authors.forename: Xenia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gonda
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serafini
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate