SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events .
The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects .
Background The evidence on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) for major depressive disorder is unclear .
Methods Our objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the effects of SSRIs versus placebo , ‘ active ’ placebo , or no intervention in adult participants with major depressive disorder .
Effects of Sertraline on Sleep Architecture in Patients With Depression
Previous studies indicate that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) , including fluoxetine , fluvoxamine , citalopram and paroxetine , suppress rapid eye movement sleep , and increased nocturnal arousals . There has been no published report of the impact of sertraline on the sleep of depressed patients . This study examines such effects . Forty-seven patients with major depressive disorder , r and omized to double-blind treatment with sertraline or placebo , completed sleep studies before and after 12 weeks of pharmacotherapy . Groups were compared using multivariate analyses of covariance and /or analyses of covariance to examine 4 empirically defined sets of sleep measures . Compared to the placebo-treated group , patients who received sertraline experienced an increase in delta wave sleep in the first sleep cycle and prolonged rapid eye movement ( REM ) sleep latency . Although , sertraline therapy decreased the average number of REM periods ( from 3.86 to 2.40 ) , the activity of both REM period 1 and REM period 2 was significantly increased . Aside from an increase in sleep latency , sertraline therapy was not associated with a worsening of measures of sleep continuity . There was also no significant difference between the groups on a measure of subjective sleepiness . These findings are both similar and different from those observed in previous studies of other SSRIs . The increase in delta sleep ratio and consolidation of REM sleep may have some other clinical implication s. However , the generalizability of these findings is limited because of a number of reasons . Further studies are needed to examine the effects of SSRIs in acute treatment of depressed patients with severe insomnia , and the relationship of acute changes and relapse prevention of recurrent depression
SSRIs significantly increase the risk of both serious and non-serious adverse events .
The potential small beneficial effects seem to be outweighed by harmful effects .
Background The evidence on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) for major depressive disorder is unclear .
Methods Our objective was to conduct a systematic review assessing the effects of SSRIs versus placebo , ‘ active ’ placebo , or no intervention in adult participants with major depressive disorder .