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Review
. 2015 Jul-Sep;13(3):430-4.
doi: 10.1590/S1679-45082015RW3021. Epub 2015 May 1.

Outpatient treatment of sleep disorders in Alzheimer patients

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Francisca Magalhães Scoralick  1 , Einstein Francisco Camargos  1 , Marco Polo Dias Freitas  1 , Otávio Toledo Nóbrega  1
Affiliations
Review

Outpatient treatment of sleep disorders in Alzheimer patients

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Francisca Magalhães Scoralick et al. Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2015 Jul-Sep.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Sleep disorders are common in patients with Alzheimer dementia and affect the quality of life of patients and of their caregivers. Despite the rising number of studies in the area, almost all of them are about non-pharmacological treatment. Our objective was to review the literature concerning pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to treat sleep disorders of elderly patients with Alzheimer dementia in the ambulatory setting. The treatments revised consisted of sleep hygiene and/or use of intense light coupled or not with use of melatonin, cholinesterase inhibitors, antipsychotics, hypnotics or antidepressants. In addition to the non-pharmacological measures, there is evidence that the use of trazodone may aid the treatment of sleep disorders of older individuals with Alzheimer dementia. More studies are necessary to examine the non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments revised herein.

Os transtornos do sono são comuns nos pacientes com doença de Alzheimer e interferem na qualidade de vida do paciente e de seu cuidador. Apesar da alta prevalência desses transtornos, existe pouca evidência em relação ao seu tratamento. Nosso objetivo foi revisar a literatura em relação ao tratamento não farmacológico e farmacológico dos transtornos do sono nos idosos com doença de Alzheimer em comunidade. Os tratamentos incluídos consistiram na higiene do sono e/ou no uso da luz intensa, combinados ou não com o uso da melatonina, nos inibidores de acetilcolinesterases, antipsicóticos, hipnóticos ou antidepressivos. Para além das medidas não farmacológicas, há evidência de que o uso da trazodona é efetivo no tratamento dos transtornos do sono de pacientes com doença de Alzheimer. Mais estudos sobre as estratégias farmacológicas e não farmacológicas aqui revisadas ou outras são desejáveis.

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References

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