Effects of quetiapine extended release on sleep and quality of life in midlife women with major depressive disorder

Depression during midlife years may lead to significant sleep disturbances and adversely impact quality of life (QOL). In this report, we examined the effects of treatment with quetiapine extended release (XR), 150–300 mg/day, on sleep and QOL in 23 midlife women with major depressive disorder (MDD). Quetiapine XR improved subjective sleep distress, overall sleep parameters, and sleep-related QOL, ultimately leading to significant improvement in menopause-related QOL. While larger, controlled trials are still awaited, these preliminary results are encouraging and suggest that quetiapine XR may be a useful tool in treating symptomatic midlife women with MDD.