Objective: To investigate the effects of a newer antipsychotic drug, risperidone (a potent serotonin 5-HT2A/2C and dopamine D2-receptor blocker), on the quantity and quality of sleep in patients with schizophrenia.
Design: Prospective pilot study.
Setting: Outpatient treatment at a mental health hospital.
Patients: Two groups of age- and sex-matched patients with schizophrenia receiving either risperidone (n = 8) or a typical antipsychotic drug (n = 8), and a group of age- and sex-matched controls (n = 8).
Outcome measures: Sleep quality, measured by a visual analogue scale, and sleep continuity, measured using a movement index calculated from actigraph data.
Results: Patients with schizophrenia had more disturbed sleep than controls. Compared with patients treated with typical antipsychotic drugs, patients treated with risperidone reported significantly better sleep quantity and quality as well as general functioning.
Conclusion: Improvement by risperidone may be related to 5-HT2A/2C receptor blockade; however, further controlled studies are required to confirm these results.