RESUMEN
Objective:To investigate the effects of paliperidone combined with dexzopiclone on plasma neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters in schizophrenic patients with insomnia.Methods:Sixty schizophrenic patients with insomnia who received treatment in Ningbo Kangning Hospital, China between January 2020 and December 2020 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive treatment with either dexzopiclone tablets combined with risperidone tablets (control group, n = 30) or paliperidone tablets combined with dexzopiclone tablets (observation group, n = 30) for 8 successive weeks. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate the severity of schizophrenia. Change in PANSS score post-treatment relative to pre-treatment was compared between the control and treatment groups. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was used to evaluate sleepiness before and after treatment. Change in PSQI score post-treatment relative to pre-treatment was compared between the control and treatment groups. Before and after treatment, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophic factor 3, nerve growth factor, dopamine and serotonin levels were compared between the control and observation groups. Results:After treatment, PANSS score in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(52.71 ± 6.41) points vs. (60.34 ± 6.25) points, t = 4.668, P < 0.05]. PSQI score in the observation group [(8.83 ± 2.43) points] was significantly lower than that in the control group ( t = 4.567, P < 0.05). After treatment, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophic factor 3 and nerve growth factor levels in the observation group were (4 752.79 ± 136.27) ng/L, (173.64 ± 15.88) ng/L, and (39.14 ± 2.23) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(4 417.85 ± 138.54) ng/L), (150.06 ± 15.49) ng/L, (37.51 ± 2.17) ng/L, t = 9.441, 5.822, 2.869, all P < 0.05]. After treatment, serum dopamine and serotonin levels in the observation group were (70.25 ± 6.41) ng/L and (43.42 ± 7.11) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(63.44 ± 6.03) ng/L, (35.59 ± 6.89) ng/L, t = 4.238, 4.332, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Paliperidone tablets combined with dexzopiclone tablets exhibit good efficacy in the management of schizophrenic patients with insomnia. The combined therapy can effectively reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia complicated by insomnia, increase serum neurotrophic factor level, regulate serum neurotransmitter level, and thereby improve the mental state of patients.