Abstract
The sleep patterns of four male chronic schizophrenic patients were monitored throughout the various phases of a 1-year therapeutic trial with loxapine succinate, a newly developed neuroleptic. Compared with the initial drug-free baseline, the early drug period was characterized by an increase in REM percentage, REM density, and REM activity. During the drug maintenance period, the increase in REM phasic events was accompanied by an increase in total sleep. Severe insomnia was noted during the initial period of drug withdrawal. The absence of time lag between changes in drug administration schedule and the associated alterations in sleep patterns was in contrast with the time latency of the therapeutic response. This is probably an indication that the effects of this neuroleptic on sleep and on psychopathology are mediated by different mechanisms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aserinski, E., Kleitman, N.: Regularly occurring periods of eye mobility and concomitant phenomena, during sleep. Science 118, 273–274 (1953)
Caldwell, D. D., Domino, E. F.: Electroencephalographic and eye movement patterns during sleep in chronic schizophrenic patients. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 22, 414–420 (1967)
Feinberg, I., Braun, M., Koresko, R. L., Gottlieb, F.: Stage 4 sleep in schizophrenia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 21, 262–266 (1969a)
Feinberg, I., Wender, P. H., Koresko, R. L., Gottlieb, F., Piehuta, J. A.: Differential effects of chlorpromazine and phenobarbital on EEG sleep patterns. J. Psychiatr. Res. 7, 101–109 (1969b)
Gogerty, J. H.: Preclinical methodologies related to the development of hypnotic substances. In: Pharmacology of sleep, R. L. Williams and I. Karacan, eds., pp. 33–52. New York: Wiley 1976
Itil, T. M., Hsu, W., Klingenberg, H., Cannon, P., Holden, M.: Effects of thiothixene on digital computer sleep prints of schizophrenic patients. Physicians Drug Manual 2, 118–123 (1971a)
Itil, T. M., Hsu, W., Saletu, B., Klingenberg, H.: Effects of fluphenazine hydrochloride on digital computer sleep prints of schizophrenic patients. Dis. Nerv. Syst. 32, 751–758 (1971b)
Jus, K., Jus, J., Beland, C., Bouchard, M., Pires, P., Fontaine, P., Brunelle, R.: Sleep analysis during drug-free weekends in chronic schizophrenic patients. Biol. Psychiatry 11, 709–718 (1976)
Kales, A., Bixler, E., Tan, T. L., Scharf, M. B., Kales, J. D.: Chronic hypnotic drug use. Ineffectiveness, drug withdrawal insomnia, and dependence. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 227, 513–517 (1974)
Kales, A., Kales, J. D., Bixler, E. O., Scharf, M. B.: Effectiveness of hypnotic drugs with prolonged use: Flurazepam and pentobarbital. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 18, 356–363 (1975)
Kaplan, J., Dawson, S., Vaughn, T., Green, R., Wyatt, R. J.: Effect of prolonged chlorpromazine administration on the sleep of chronic schizophrenics. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 31, 62–66 (1974)
Kay, D. C., Blackburn, A. B., Buckingham, J. A., Karacan, I.: Human pharmacology of sleep. In: Pharmacology of sleep, R. L. Williams and I. Karacan, eds., pp. 83–210: New York: Wiley 1976
Oswald, I., Evans, J. I., Lewis, S. A.: Addictive drugs cause suppression of paradoxical sleep with withdrawal rebound. In: Scientific basis of drug dependence, H. Steinberg, ed., pp. 243–257, London: Churchill 1969
Prien, R. F., Klett, C. J.: An appraisal of the long term use of tranquillizing medication with hospitalized chronic schizophrenics. A review of the drug discontinuation literature. Cooperative Studies in Psychiatry. Research Report No. 85. Veterans Administration Central Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory (1970)
Rechtschaffen, A., Kales, A. A.: A manual of standardized terminology, techniques and scoring system for sleep stages of human subjects. Bethesda, Md.: National Institutes for Nervous Disease and Blindness 1968
Siegel, S.: Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw Hill 1956
Simpson, G. M., Branchey, M. H., Lee, J. H., Varga, E.: A two year trial of loxapine succinate in chronic psychotic patients. Dis. Nerv. Syst. 37, 305–307 (1976)
The National Institute of Mental Health Psychopharmacology Service Center Collaborative Study Group: Phenothiazine treatment in acute schizophrenia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 10, 246–261 (1964)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Branchey, M.H., Brebbia, D.R., Cooper, T.B. et al. Effects of loxapine on the sleep of chronic schizophrenics. Psychopharmacology 62, 201–206 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427137
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427137