nsomnia is a common symptom in depressed patients. 70 to 90% of patients suffering from depression also suffer from sleep disorders. These patients have particular difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This recent antidepressant, Vortioxetine (VOR), shows, in addition to its effects against depressive symptoms, benefits on sleep, according to this small study conducted in fifteen patients with major depressive disorder and complaining of insomnia. Preliminary data, presented in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, which will have to be confirmed, on the "sleep" benefit by a larger study by polysomnography.
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This study is conducted on 15 patients with depression and insomnia, who initiated treatment with Vortioxetine for their depressive symptoms. Participants were assessed, at baseline, for sleep (with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)) and for depression (with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)). The analysis shows, at the end of the follow-up,
- improved quality and continuity of sleep
- the reduction in symptoms of depression is also confirmed to be very significant.
Thus, this retrospective analysis showing the significant effect of the drug on depressive symptoms and insomnia in these patients calls for further research. The researchers suggest that the mechanism of action of Vortioxetine, a "multimodal" effect on the transport and reuptake of serotonin, could explain the improvement in subjective sleep, in addition to its effect in reducing depressive symptoms.
Finally, these findings, if confirmed, could have important clinical implications due to the frequency of sleep disturbances in patients with depressive disorder and the insomnia-depression vicious circle effect.
