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Impact of Pharmacotherapy on Insomnia in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

Drugs & aging
November 1, 2021
Joshua P Roland et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to review treatment strategies, including melatonin, for managing disturbed sleep in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Results Summary

The abstract notes that melatonin is often used based on historical usage but lacks strong support from high-quality trials, indicating limited evidence for its efficacy in this population.

Population

Patients with Alzheimer's disease experiencing disturbed sleep.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
sedating antidepressants
no change
treatment of disturbed sleep in Alzheimer's disease
patients with Alzheimer's disease
not necessarily supported by high-quality trials
are often employed based on historical usage
#1
melatonin
no change
treatment of disturbed sleep in Alzheimer's disease
patients with Alzheimer's disease
not necessarily supported by high-quality trials
are often employed based on historical usage
#2
site-specific γ-aminobutyric acid agonists
no change
treatment of disturbed sleep in Alzheimer's disease
patients with Alzheimer's disease
not necessarily supported by high-quality trials
are often employed based on historical usage
#3
dual orexin receptor antagonists
increase
treatment of disturbed sleep in Alzheimer's disease
patients with Alzheimer's disease
still need further evaluation
have demonstrated some promise
#4
Abstract

Insomnia is a pervasive sleep disorder affecting numerous patients across diverse demographical populations and comorbid disease states. Contributing factors are often a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social components, requiring a multifaceted approach in terms of both diagnosis and management. In the setting of Alzheimer's disease, insomnia is an even more complicated issue, with a higher overall prevalence than in the general population, greater complexity of contributing etiologies, and differences in diagnosis (at times based on caregiver observation of sleep disruption rather than subjective complaints by the individual with the disorder), and requiring more discretion in terms of treatment, particularly in regard to adverse effect profile concerns. There also is growing evidence of the bidirectional nature of sleep disruption and Alzheimer's disease, with insomnia potentially contributing to disease progression, making the condition even more paramount to address. The objective of this review was to provide the clinician with an overview of treatment strategies that may have value in the treatment of disturbed sleep in Alzheimer's disease. Nonpharmacological approaches to treatment should be exhausted foremost; however, pharmacotherapy may be needed in certain clinical scenarios, which can be a challenge for clinicians given the paucity of evidence and guidelines for treatment in the subpopulation of Alzheimer's disease. Agents such as sedating antidepressants, melatonin, and site-specific γ-aminobutyric acid agonists are often employed based on historical usage but are not necessarily supported by high-quality trials. Newer agents such as dual orexin receptor antagonists have demonstrated some promise but still need further evaluation.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Alzheimer DiseaseHumansMelatoninSleepSleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersSleep Wake Disorders
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy50/10
Quality60/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations7
Citations/Year1.8
Relative Citation Ratio0.59
NIH Percentile31.8%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score2.04
Normalized Score0.52
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