The effect of cholinesterase inhibitors on sleep in the patients with Alzheimer’s disease: an observational prospective study

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the essential effects of cholinesterase inhibitors between the first days of the medication and after 1 month in the patients have not the history of disease, the patients not used the medicines which effect the sleep or the patients started new medication.

METHODS: Patients diagnosed with mild to moderate stage Alzheimer’s disease according to DSM-IV criteria (age: 55–85) were admitted in this multi-centred study between December 2014 and January 2017. Thirty five patients with mini mental test score between 14 and 24 were included in the study. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) and Standardized Mini Mental Test (SMMT) were given to all patients were used in first days of treatment and at least after 1 month.

RESULTS: Twenty patients (57%) were using Donepezil and 15 patients (43%) were using Rivastigmine. Gender, marital status, educational status and family history of dementia were not statistically significant difference for both of the groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the first and second evaluation for two treatment groups in SMMT, CSDD and BAS scores (p values .748, .232 and .611, respectively). In both groups, positive effect were observed in PSQI scores after 1 month of treatment, but this positive effect was not found to be statistically significant (p: .558).

DISCUSSION: When donepezil and rivastigmine were compared in this study, it was observed that they had similar positive effects on sleeping quality, but there was not statistically significant difference.