Quetiapine as a Potential Treatment for Insomnia: The Road Ahead

Abstract

Because of its specific method of action, such as antagonism of histamine H1 and serotonin type 2A receptors, quetiapine has a sedative effect.1 Quetiapine is chosen as a therapeutic alternative for treating individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who require sedation among other antipsychotics because of its sedative properties. In therapeutic practice, quetiapine is used to treat insomnia in people suffering from a variety of psychiatric conditions. Lee et al.2 looked at clinical data from Korea and reported on the prescription status of quetiapine for insomnia treatment. Quetiapine is commonly used to treat a variety of mental conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and insomnia. Quetiapine is the favored therapeutic approach for treating primary insomnia in the elderly, according to reports. When atypical antipsychotics like quetiapine are used to treat insomnia symptoms in actual clinical settings, they are chosen for various concomitant therapeutic goals in addition to insomnia.3 According to the findings from the study reported by Lee et al.,2 quetiapine is recommended for treating insomnia in the elderly not only because of the vulnerability and risk of side effects associated with sedative-hypnotics, but also because of its sedative action. In the elderly, the administration of sedative-hypnotics may raise the risk of dementia or delirium and may result in long-term use, which is problematic. For the elderly who suffer from insomnia, non-pharmacological treatment options such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or light therapy may be a viable choice. However, there is a populaQuetiapine as a Potential Treatment for Insomnia: The Road Ahead