EEG abnormality risk varied widely among specific antipsychotics. Risk was particularly high with clozapine and olanzapine, moderate with risperidone and typical neuroleptics, and low with quetiapine. Comorbid hypertension, bipolarity, and older age-but not dose or clinical response-were associated with risk.

Cognitive deficits in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients have been described in numerous studies. However, few reports have aimed to describe cognitive deficits in the remitted state of MDD and the mediational effect of cognitive deficits on occupational outcome. The aim of the current review is to synthesize the literature on the mediating and moderating effects of specific domains of cognition on occupational impairment among people with remitted MDD. In addition, predictors of cognitive deficits found to be vocationally important will be examined. Upon examination of the extant literature, attention, executive function and verbal memory are areas of consistent impairment in remitted MDD patients. Cognitive domains shown to have considerable impact on vocational functioning include deficits in memory, attention, learning and executive function. Factors that adversely affect cognitive function related to occupational accommodation include higher age, late age at onset, residual depressive symptoms, history of melancholic/psychotic depression, and physical/psychiatric comorbidity, whereas higher levels of education showed a protective effect against cognitive deficit. Cognitive deficits are a principal mediator of occupational impairment in remitted MDD patients. Therapeutic interventions specifically targeting cognitive deficits in MDD are needed, even in the remitted state, to improve functional recovery, especially in patients who have a higher risk of cognitive deficit.

The present study aimed to: (i) provide preliminary data on the effectiveness and tolerability of atypical antipsychotics, amisulpride (AMSP) and quetiapine (QTP) for patients with delirium and (ii) investigate whether the two drugs affect sleep differently and further relation with the recovery time of delirium. Forty patients with delirium were randomly assigned to either AMSP or QTP groups, with a flexible dosing schedule. The Delirium Rating Scale-revised-98 (DRS-R-98) and clinical global impression-severity (CGI-S), total sleep time and quality of sleep were assessed daily. Sixteen subjects in the AMSP group and 15 subjects in the QTP group completed the study. The mean daily dose was 156.4 mg/day and 113 mg/day in the AMSP and QTP groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in the baseline DRS-R-98 and CGI scores. After treatment, DRS-R-98 scores were significantly decreased from the baseline in both treatment groups (P<0.001) without group difference. The mean duration of stabilization were 6.3+/-4.4 days for the AMSP group and 7.4+/-4.1 days for the QTP group without group differences. There was no group difference in the mean quality of sleep score and the mean total sleep time. The duration of stabilization was inversely correlated with the mean sleep quality score and the mean total sleep time (P<0.001). Both atypical antipsychotics were generally well tolerated. The present study shows that both amisulpride and quetiapine may be useful drugs for the treatment of delirium on the basis of effectiveness and relative lack of adverse events. Further systematic controlled studies are required.