The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7408 p41
8 July 2006

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CBT superior to zopiclone in small sleep trial

Cognitive behavioural therapy is superior to zopiclone treatment for short- and long-term management of insomnia in older adults, according to research published in JAMA (2006;295:2851).

A trial randomised 46 adults to receive CBT, zopiclone 7.5mg each night or placebo for six weeks.Time spent awake during the night was reduced by 52 per cent in the CBT group compared with 4 per cent and 16 per cent in the zopiclone and placebo groups, respectively, at six weeks. Sleep efficiency (ratio of total time spent asleep to actual time spent in bed x 100) improved by 9 per cent in the CBT group compared with a decline of 1 per cent in the zopiclone group; this improvement was maintained at six-month follow-up.

Patients in the CBT group also spent more time in slow-wave sleep (a lack of which is thought to be associated with impaired daytime functioning). Total time spent asleep was similar in all three groups.