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Executive dysfunction in patients with chronic primary insomnia treated with clonazepam
Noé Contreras-González1, Bernarda Téllez-Alanís, Reyes Haro
11 School of Medicine, National University of Mexico-Campus Zaragoza , Mexico City, Mexico.
Clonazepam (CNZ) treatment for insomnia negatively impacts executive functions (EF) like attention and cognitive flexibility. These cognitive deficits show a dose-dependent relationship with CNZ dosage in patients with chronic primary insomnia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Chronic primary insomnia (CPI) affects cognitive function.
- Clonazepam (CNZ) is a common treatment for insomnia.
- The impact of CNZ on executive functions (EF) in CPI patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of CNZ on executive functions (EF) in patients with chronic primary insomnia (CPI).
- To compare EF performance between CPI patients treated with CNZ, CPI patients without CNZ, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Ninety participants were divided into three groups: CPI only, CPI with CNZ treatment, and healthy controls.
- Executive functions were assessed using E-Prime and the Tower of London tests.
- Statistical analyses included group comparisons and correlation between EF and CNZ dose.
Main Results:
- Patients with CPI treated with CNZ exhibited significant deficits in attention, inhibition, working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, and monitoring compared to CPI-only patients.
- Attention and cognitive flexibility showed a significant correlation with the CNZ dose.
- CPI patients treated with CNZ performed worse on EF tasks than CPI-only patients and healthy controls.
Conclusions:
- CNZ treatment is associated with executive function deficits in CPI patients.
- These deficits include impairments in attention, cognitive flexibility, and other key EF domains.
- A dose-dependent relationship exists between CNZ dosage and the severity of certain EF deficits.
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