Objective: The main pharmacological difference between risperidone and haloperidol is the higher potency of 5-HT2 receptor blockade by risperidone. This study compared the polysomographic patterns of schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone with those patients receiving haloperidol. The relationship between sleep architecture and clinical symptoms was also examined in these patients. Methods: Sleep architectures were compared in 17 schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone and 18 schizophrenic patients treated with haloperidol. Schizophrenia was diagnosed in all patients according to DSM-IV criteria and clinical symptoms were evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The relationships between sleep architecture and clinical symptoms were also investigated. Results: No differences between the risperidone and haloperidol group were found in demographic characteristics, dose of antipsychotic agents, sleep architecture, or BPRS scores and sub-factors. The BPRS scores and the sub-factors of positive symptoms, hostility/suspiciousness were negatively correlated with total sleep time (p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.05). The negative symptoms and slow wave sleep were inversely correlated (p<0.05). Conclusions: Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which 5-HT2 receptor antagonist affect sleep architectures. This study found that negative symptoms in schizophrenia were correlated with slow wave sleep, and psychotic exacerbation was associated with reduced total sleep time. (Full text in Chinese)
Objective: The main pharmacological difference between risperidone and haloperidol is the higher potency of 5-HT2 receptor blockade by risperidone. This study compared the polysomographic patterns of schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone with those patients receiving haloperidol. The relationship between sleep architecture and clinical symptoms was also examined in these patients. Methods: Sleep architectures were compared in 17 schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone and 18 schizophrenic patients treated with haloperidol. Schizophrenia was diagnosed in all patients according to DSM-IV criteria and clinical symptoms were evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The relationships between sleep architecture and clinical symptoms were also investigated. Results: No differences between the risperidone and haloperidol group were found in demographic characteristics, dose of antipsychotic agents, sleep architecture, or BPRS scores and sub-factors. The BPRS scores and the sub-factors of positive symptoms, hostility/suspiciousness were negatively correlated with total sleep time (p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.05). The negative symptoms and slow wave sleep were inversely correlated (p<0.05). Conclusions: Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms by which 5-HT2 receptor antagonist affect sleep architectures. This study found that negative symptoms in schizophrenia were correlated with slow wave sleep, and psychotic exacerbation was associated with reduced total sleep time. (Full text in Chinese)