Effects of trazodone on insomnia and anxiety in depressed patients: a clinical and sleep EEG study.

Clinical and sleep EEG effects of trazodone in major depression were investigated using a 5-week single-blind study design. Nine patients with DSM-N major depression were selected. Trazodone (50-250 mg) was given following a 2-week placebo run-in period. Both sleep and psychiatric evaluations were performed at different time points. Early and persistent sleep-inducing effects were detected, including the improvement of objective insomnia features and increased amounts of slow wave sleep. However, no significant changes of REM sleep measures were found. The sleep EEG changes seem to be related to the clinical improvement of both anxiety and insomnia, but there is no apparent relationship with the antidepressant action, which occurs at a later stage of the treatment. Trazodone may be useful in depressed patients, either as a hypnotic-like agent or as an effective antidepressant drug with beneficial effects on sleep.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes