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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
Second-generation antipsychotics in major depressive disorder: update and clinical perspective
Jun Chen1, Keming Gao, David E Kemp
1Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) effectively treat major depressive disorder (MDD), offering rapid antidepressant effects. Monitoring for side effects like weight gain and extrapyramidal symptoms is crucial during SGA treatment for MDD.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health condition.
- Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are increasingly explored for MDD treatment.
- Understanding SGA efficacy and safety in nonpsychotic MDD is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy and safety of SGAs in treating nonpsychotic Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
- To evaluate both monotherapy and adjunctive use of SGAs.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature.
- Analysis of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.
- Comparison of SGA efficacy and safety profiles against placebo and conventional treatments.
Main Results:
- SGAs demonstrated rapid antidepressant efficacy in MDD, both as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy.
- Certain SGAs (quetiapine, risperidone, amisulpride) showed potential in delaying relapse.
- Common side effects included weight gain and akathisia, with varying incidence among agents.
- Insufficient data exists to definitively differentiate efficacy between various SGAs.
Conclusions:
- SGAs are effective in treating MDD, surpassing placebo efficacy.
- Augmentation with SGAs is particularly noted in treatment-resistant depression.
- Routine monitoring for cardiometabolic and extrapyramidal side effects is recommended during SGA therapy.
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