Antipsychotic Drug-Induced Somnolence: Incidence, Mechanisms, and Management

Abstract Somnolence is a common side effect of antipsychotics. To assess the incidence of this side effect, we performed a MEDLINE search for randomized, double-blinded, placebo- or active-controlled studies of adult patients treated with antipsychotics for schizophrenia, mania, bipolar depression, or bipolar disorder. We extracted rates of somnolence from original publications and pooled them based on the dose of each antipsychotic in the same psychiatric condition, then estimated the absolute risk increase (ARI) and the number needed to harm (NNH) of an antipsychotic relative to placebo or an active comparator in the same psychiatric condition. According to the ARI in acute schizophrenia, bipolar mania, and bipolar depression, antipsychotics can be classified as high somnolence (clozapine), moderate somnolence (olanzapine, perphenazine, quetiapine, risperidone, ziprasidone), and low somnolence (aripiprazole, asenapine, haloperidol, lurasidone, paliperidone, cariprazine). The risk of somnolence with blonanserin, brexpiprazole, chlorpromazine, iloperidone, sertindole, and zotepine needs further investigation. The rates of somnolence were positively correlated to dose and duration for some antipsychotics, but not for others. Many factors, including antipsychotic per se, the method used to measure somnolence, patient population, study design, and dosing schedule, might affect the incidence of antipsychotic-induced somnolence. The mechanisms of antipsychotic-in...
Source: CNS Drugs - Category: Neurology Source Type: research