AI Article Synopsis
- * A case study of a 69-year-old woman showed that after 12 years of zolpidem use, she developed uncontrolled movements and anxiety/depression symptoms, despite having no prior psychiatric or neurological issues.
- * The exact cause of these involuntary movements remains unclear, but it is suggested that zolpidem may affect dopamine release in the brain; more research is needed to understand risks, especially for patients on high doses over long periods.
Article Abstract
Zolpidem is a non-benzodiazepine agent used for short-term treatment of insomnia. Several cases of dependence and withdrawal from zolpidem are reported in the literature. Furthermore, involuntary movements after prolonged zolpidem misuse have been described. In this case report, a 69-year-old Italian woman with no history of diagnosed psychiatric or neurologic diseases developed uncontrolled movements and a depressive-anxious syndrome after twelve-year zolpidem misuse. The underlying mechanisms of involuntary movements occurring after long-term zolpidem intake are unknown; yet, we suggest that zolpidem might induce an increase in dopamine release through inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid neurons tonically suppressing dopamine cells. Future studies on the occurrence of persistent disorders after long-term benzodiazepine or Z-drug abuse are needed and clinicians should pay attention to the risk of tardive syndromes related to zolpidem misuse, especially in the case of long-term intake of over-therapeutic dosages.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0000000000000443 | DOI Listing |
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