Abstract
Background: Mirtazapine, a clinically effective antidepressant, acts by antagonizing
central α2-adrenergic and 5-HT2/5-HT3 receptors. No data are available regarding mirtazapine’s effects on sleep architecture
in patients with major depressive disorder.
Methods: Six patients meeting criteria for major depressive disorder and scoring ≥4
on the three Hamilton Depression Rating Scale sleep items were studied. Polysomnographic
evaluations were performed at baseline and after 1 (15 mg at bedtime) and 2 weeks
(30 mg at bedtime) of open-label mirtazapine treatment.
Results: Mirtazapine significantly decreased sleep latency and significantly increased
total sleep time and sleep efficiency from baseline levels during week 1, with similar
results observed after week 2. Mirtazapine did not significantly alter rapid eye movement
sleep parameters. Clinically, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and sleep disturbance
ratings improved after treatment.
Conclusions: Mirtazapine significantly improves sleep continuity in major depressive
disorder patients with poor sleep quality at weeks 1 and 2 of treatment, while preserving
sleep architecture.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Biological PsychiatryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- The effectiveness of Org 3770 in depressed patients.Psychopharmacol Bull. 1987; 23: 160-161
- The pharmacologic profile of mirtazapine.J Clin Psychiatry. 1996; 57: 19-25
- ECDEU Assessment Manual for Psychopharmacology. National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, MD1976
- A rating scale for depression.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1960; 23: 56-62
- Human SWS is increased dose-dependently by seganserine and ritanserine.Sleep Res. 1989; 18: 55
Kupfer DJ, Reynolds CF III (1992): Sleep and affective disorders. In: Paykel ES, editor. Handbook of Affective Disorders, 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 311–323.
- Remeron—a Novel Pharmacological Treatment for Depression. Organon, West Orange, NJ1996
- The pharmacology of mirtazapine.J Clin Psychiatry. 1997; 58: 501-502
- A Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques, and Scoring for Sleep Stages of Human Subjects. National Institutes of Health, Neurologic Information Network, Bethesda, MD1968
- Effect of the antidepressant Org 3770 on human sleep.Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1990; 38: 551-554
- Comparative effects of nefazodone and fluoxetine on sleep in outpatients with major depressive disorder.Biol Psychiatry. 1998; 44: 3-14
- Essential Psychopharmacology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK1996
- The effects of antidepressants on sleep physiology.Primary Psychiatry. 1994; 1: 22-27
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 30,
2000
Received in revised form:
March 28,
2000
Received:
October 12,
1999
Identification
Copyright
© 2000 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
