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Journal ArticleDOI

Sleep disturbances in patients with schizophrenia : impact and effect of antipsychotics.

01 Jan 2008-CNS Drugs (Springer International Publishing)-Vol. 22, Iss: 11, pp 939-962
TL;DR: It appears possible that the high-potency drugs exert their effects on sleep in schizophrenic patients, for the most part, in an indirect way by suppressing stressful psychotic symptomatology.
Abstract: Difficulties initiating or maintaining sleep are frequently encountered in patients with schizophrenia. Disturbed sleep can be found in 30–80% of schizophrenic patients, depending on the degree of psychotic symptomatology. Measured by polysomnography, reduced sleep efficiency and total sleep time, as well as increased sleep latency, are found in most patients with schizophrenia and appear to be an important part of the pathophysiology of this disorder. Some studies also reported alterations of stage 2 sleep, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep variables, i.e. reduced REM latency and REM density. A number of sleep parameters, such as the amount of SWS and the REM latency, are significantly correlated to clinical variables, including severity of illness, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, outcome, neurocognitive impairment and brain structure. Concerning specific sleep disorders, there is some evidence that schizophrenic patients carry a higher risk of experiencing a sleep-related breathing disorder, especially those demonstrating the known risk factors, including being overweight but also long-term use of antipsychotics. However, it is still unclear whether periodic leg movements in sleep or restless legs syndrome (RLS) are found with a higher or lower prevalence in schizophrenic patients than in healthy controls. There are no consistent effects of first-generation antipsychotics on measuresof sleep continuity and sleep structure, including the percentage of sleep stages or sleep and REM latency in healthy controls. In contrast to first-generation antipsychotics, the studied atypical antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, ziprasidone and paliperidone) demonstrate a relatively consistent effect on measures of sleep continuity, with an increase in either total sleep time (TST) or sleep efficiency, and individually varying effects on other sleep parameters, such as an increase in REM latency observed for olanzapine, quetiapine and ziprasidone, and an increase in SWS documented for olanzapine and ziprasidone in healthy subjects. The treatment of schizophrenic patients with first-generation antipsychotics is consistently associated with an increase in TST and sleep efficiency, and mostly an increase in REM latency, whereas the influence on specific sleep stages is more variable. On the other hand, withdrawal of such treatment is followed by a change in sleep structure mainly in the opposite direction, indicating a deterioration of sleep quality. On the background of the rather inconsistent effects of first-generation antipsychotics observed in healthy subjects, it appears possible that the high-potency drugs exert their effects on sleep in schizophrenic patients, for the most part, in an indirect way by suppressing stressful psychotic symptomatology. In contrast, the available data concerning second-generation antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone and paliperidone) demonstrate a relatively consistent effect on measures of sleep continuity in patients and healthy subjects, with an increase in TST and sleep efficiency or a decrease in wakefulness. Additionally, clozapine and olanzapine demonstrate comparable influences on other sleep variables, such as SWS or REM density, in controls and schizophrenic patients. Possibly, the effects of second-generation antipsychotics observed on sleep in healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients might involve the action of these drugs on symptomatology, such as depression, cognitive impairment, and negative and positive symptoms. Specific sleep disorders, such as RLS, sleep-related breathing disorders, night-eating syndrome, somnambulism and rhythm disorders have been described as possible adverse effects of antipsychotics and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of disturbed or unrestful sleep in this population.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that sleep disturbance is a predictor of next-day impaired functioning and psychotic symptom severity in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and interventions targeting sleep may have the potential to directly and indirectly enhance functional and symptomatic recovery in those experiencing psychosis.
Abstract: Sleep disturbance is common in schizophrenia, but its role in predicting functioning and psychotic symptoms has yet to be rigorously examined. The purpose of this study was to conduct a prospective, high-resolution examination of the relationship between nightly sleep and next-day functioning and psychotic symptoms in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Experience sampling methodology was integrated with actigraphy and sleep diaries across 7 days in 22 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Momentary assessments of mood, psychotic symptoms, and functioning were gathered at 5 points each day following pseudorandom schedules. Multilevel modeling was performed to evaluate the links between variables. Objective and subjective sleep disturbance predicted reduced next-day functioning, which remained significant after controlling for psychotic symptom severity. Increased sleep fragmentation and reduced subjective and objective sleep efficiency predicted greater next-day auditory hallucinations, whereas increased objective sleep fragmentation and reduced subjective sleep quality predicted greater paranoia and delusions of control. Negative affect on awakening mediated a proportion of these relationships (range: 17.9-57.3%). For the first time, we show that sleep disturbance is a predictor of next-day impaired functioning and psychotic symptom severity in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Therefore, interventions targeting sleep may have the potential to directly and indirectly enhance functional and symptomatic recovery in those experiencing psychosis. (PsycINFO Database Record

80 citations


Cites background from "Sleep disturbances in patients with..."

  • ...Estimates indicate that between 30-80% of patients with a schizophrenia diagnosis report sleep continuity difficulties (Cohrs, 2008), which can be observed in the prodromal (Davies, Haddock, Yung, Mulligan & Kyle, 2016) acute (Kupfer, 1970) and residual (Waters et al., 2011) phases of the disorder....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The evidence for pathogenicity and disease-relevance of antibodies to the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in first-episode psychosis is described and the novel field in neuroimmunology of cell surface antibody-associated central nervous system disorders is built.

78 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The experience is that patients want help to improve their sleep; sleep problems in schizophrenia should be treated with evidence-based interventions, and that the interventions may have the added benefit of lessening the psychotic experiences.
Abstract: Background: Sleep disturbance is increasingly recognized as a major problem for patients with schizophrenia but it is rarely the direct focus of treatment. The main recommended treatment for insomnia is cognitive behavioural therapy, which we have been evaluating for patients with current delusions and hallucinations in the context of non-affective psychosis. Aims: In this article we describe the lessons we have learned about clinical presentations of sleep problems in schizophrenia and the adaptations to intervention that we recommend for patients with current delusions and hallucinations. Method: Twelve factors that may particularly contribute to sleep problems in schizophrenia are identified. These include delusions and hallucinations interfering with sleep, attempts to use sleep as an escape from voices, circadian rhythm disruption, insufficient daytime activity, and fear of the bed, based upon past adverse experiences. Specific adaptations for psychological treatment related to each factor are described. Conclusions: Our experience is that patients want help to improve their sleep; sleep problems in schizophrenia should be treated with evidence-based interventions, and that the interventions may have the added benefit of lessening the psychotic experiences. A treatment technique hierarchy is proposed for ease of translation to clinical practice.

75 citations


Cites background from "Sleep disturbances in patients with..."

  • ...Up to 80% of people with schizophrenia report symptoms of insomnia (Cohrs, 2008)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Common, modifiable factors may be associated with these sleep-circadian phenotypes and advocate for further development of transdiagnostic interventions that target them.
Abstract: Background: Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances in schizophrenia are common, but incompletely characterised. We aimed to describe and compare the magnitude and heterogeneity of sleep-circadian alterations in remitted schizophrenia, and compare them with those in inter-episode bipolar disorder. Methods: EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO were searched for case-control studies reporting actigraphic parameters in remitted schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Standardised and absolute mean differences between patients and controls were quantified using Hedges-g, and patient-control differences in variability were quantified using the mean-scaled coefficient of variation ratio (CVR). A wald-type test compared effect-sizes between disorders. Results: Thirty studies reporting on 967 patients and 803 controls were included. Compared to controls, both schizophrenia and bipolar groups had significantly longer total sleep time (mean difference (minutes) [95%CI] = 99.9 [66.8, 133.1] and 31.1 [19.3, 42.9], respectively), time in bed (MD = 77.8 [13.7, 142.0] and 50.3 [20.3, 80.3]), but also greater sleep latency (16.5 [6.1, 27.0] and 2.6 [0.5, 4.6]) and reduced motor activity (SMD [95%CI] = -0.86 [-1.22, -0.51] and -0.75 [-1.20, -0.29]). Effect sizes were significantly greater in schizophrenia compared to the bipolar disorder group for total sleep time, sleep latency, and wake after sleep onset. CVR was significantly elevated in both diagnoses for total sleep time, time in bed, and relative amplitude. Conclusions: In both disorders, longer overall sleep duration, but also disturbed initiation, continuity and reduced motor activity were found. Common, modifiable factors may be associated with these sleep-circadian phenotypes, and advocate for further development of transdiagnostic interventions that target them.

73 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The hypothesis that poor sleep is related to impulsive, aggressive behavior in forensic psychiatric patients and the protective effect of treatment of sleep difficulties on aggressive reactivity in (forensic) psychiatric populations is supported.

71 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Review of five studies involving the PANSS provided evidence of its criterion-related validity with antecedent, genealogical, and concurrent measures, its predictive validity, its drug sensitivity, and its utility for both typological and dimensional assessment.
Abstract: The variable results of positive-negative research with schizophrenics underscore the importance of well-characterized, standardized measurement techniques. We report on the development and initial standardization of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for typological and dimensional assessment. Based on two established psychiatric rating systems, the 30-item PANSS was conceived as an operationalized, drug-sensitive instrument that provides balanced representation of positive and negative symptoms and gauges their relationship to one another and to global psychopathology. It thus constitutes four scales measuring positive and negative syndromes, their differential, and general severity of illness. Study of 101 schizophrenics found the four scales to be normally distributed and supported their reliability and stability. Positive and negative scores were inversely correlated once their common association with general psychopathology was extracted, suggesting that they represent mutually exclusive constructs. Review of five studies involving the PANSS provided evidence of its criterion-related validity with antecedent, genealogical, and concurrent measures, its predictive validity, its drug sensitivity, and its utility for both typological and dimensional assessment.

18,358 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BRS) as mentioned in this paper was developed to provide a rapid assessment technique particularly suited to the evaluation of patient change, and it is recommended for use where efficiency, speed, and economy are important considerations.
Abstract: The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale was developed to provide a rapid assessment technique particularly suited to the evaluation of patient change. Sixteen symptom constructs which have resulted from factor analyses of several larger sets of items, principally Lorr's Multidimensional Scale for Rating Psychiatric Patients (MSRPP) (1953) and Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Scale (IMPS) (1960), have been included for rating on 7-point ordered category rating scales. The attempt has been to include a single scale to record degree of symptomacology in each of the relatively independent symptom areas which have been identified. Some of the preliminary work which has led to the identification of primary symptom constructs has been published (Gorham & Overall, 1960, 1961, Overall, Gorharn, & Shawver, 1961). While other reports are in preparation, applications of the Brief Scale in both pure and applied research suggest the importance of presenting the basic instrument to the wider scientific audience at this time, together with recommendations for its standard use. The primary purpose in developing the Brief Scale has been the development of a highly efficient, rapid evaluation procedure for use in assessing treatment change in psychiatric patients while at the same time yielding a rather comprehensive description of major symptom characteristics. It is recommended for use where efficiency, speed, and economy are important considerations, while more detailed evaluation procedures, such as those developed by Lorr (1953, 1961) should perhaps be wed in other cases. In order to achieve the maximum effectiveness in use of the Brief Scale, a standard interview procedure and more detailed description of rating concepts are included in this report. In addition, each symptom concept is defined briefly in the rating scale statements themselves. Raters using the scale should become thoroughly familiar with the scale definitions presented herein, after which the rating scale statements should be sufficient to provide recall of the nature and delineation of each symptom area. , To increase the reliability of ratings, it is recommended that patients be interviewed jointly by a team of two clinicians, with the two raters making independent ratings at the completion of the interview. An alternative procedure which has been recommended by some is to have raters discuss and arrive at a

10,457 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Among the newer antipsychotic agents, clozapine appears to have the greatest potential to induce weight gain, and ziprasidone the least, and the differences among newer agents may affect compliance with medication and health risk.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the effects of anti­psychotics—both the newer ones and the conventional ones—on body weight. METHOD: A comprehensive literature search identified 81 English- and non-English-language articles that included data on weight change in antipsychotic-treated patients. For each agent, a meta-analysis and random effects metaregression estimated the weight change after 10 weeks of treatment at a standard dose. A comprehensive narrative review was also conducted on all articles that did not yield quantitative information but did yield important qualitative information. RESULTS: Placebo was associated with a mean weight reduction of 0.74 kg. Among conventional agents, mean weight change ranged from a reduction of 0.39 kg with molindone to an increase of 3.19 kg with thioridazine. Among newer antipsychotic agents, mean increases were as follows: clozapine, 4.45 kg; olanzapine, 4.15 kg; sertindole, 2.92 kg; risperidone, 2.10 kg; and ziprasidone, 0.04 kg....

2,271 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
04 Sep 1953-Science
TL;DR: A method of gravimetric planimetry by standard photographs offers a means to study the course of surface wounds more accurately than by clinical observation or by the pictorial record alone.
Abstract: obtain their surface in square centimeters. This simple method provides a means by objective measurements to make evident changes in the surface of wounds that are not apparent to the naked eye. Figure 1 shows the observations recorded with this method in a man of 42 years of age with hemiplegia and a decubital ulcer over the right buttock. The clinicians who had observed this wound daily had not noticed any remarkable change; however, it is quite obvious that the wound grew larger each time the treatment was changed, and that the use of an antibiotic was followed by a particularly striking enlargement of the lesion. In this instance the procedure of projection and gravimetric planimetry was repeated by different operators and a variation of ±5% was found (indicated by a cross-hatched area on Fig. 1). Figure 2 shows the same type of observation in a woman with hemiplegia and a decubital ulcer. This patient died from septicemia, and the decubital ulcer worsened with the general condition of the patient. A method of gravimetric planimetry by standard photographs offers a means to study the course of surface wounds more accurately than by clinical observation or by the pictorial record alone. References

2,201 citations

Trending Questions (1)
How long can a schizophrenic go without sleep?

A number of sleep parameters, such as the amount of SWS and the REM latency, are significantly correlated to clinical variables, including severity of illness, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, outcome, neurocognitive impairment and brain structure. Concerning specific sleep disorders, there is some evidence that schizophrenic patients carry a higher risk of experiencing a sleep-related breathing disorder, especially those demonstrating the known risk factors, including being overweight but also long-term use of antipsychotics.