ZOPICLONE IN ELDERLY PATIENTS - EFFICACY AND SAFETY

Zopiclone is an hypnotic medication belonging to the cyclopyrrolone family of drugs. It is chemically unrelated to the benzodiazepines and binds to a specific site of the GABA(A) receptor complex. Zopiclone has been found to be effective as an hypnotic for the elderly: single doses of 7.5 mg have been found to decrease sleep onset latency and the number of nocturnal awakenings: to improve sleep duration and sleep quality, and to cause minimal impairment of psychomotor performance and mental alertness the morning after a normal bed-time dose. Importantly, the drug has been shown to have little or no effect on short-term memory, a function that is often impaired by earlier hypnotic drugs particularly in elderly patients. Furthermore, there is little evidence of dependency or rebound insomnia on withdrawal of the medication after continued use. The drug is well tolerated by patients of all ages, and adverse effects are infrequently reported, the majority of side-effects being taste disturbance (3.6 per cent in the largest trial to date) and dry mouth (1.6 per cent). Zopiclone is now a well-established alternative to the benzodiazepine hypnotics.