The menopause transition (or perimenopause) and the early postmenopausal years are marked by intense hormone fluctuations; hormone changes are frequently accompanied by the occurrence hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disturbance. Recent epidemiologic studies also demonstrate that perimenopause is a period of greater risk for the development of depressive symptoms.
To date, serotonergic antidepressants such as paroxetine and escitalopram have shown to be efficacious for the treatment of women with depression and menopause-related symptoms. We hypothesize that the use of quetiapine for this sub-population will alleviate symptoms of depression; we also anticipate that its use may enhance quality of life and improve vasomotor symptoms - the latter possibly due to quetiapine's effect on 5HT receptors and/or due to its sleep-promoting properties (e.g., by increasing the duration of total sleep time \[TST\], enhancing sleep efficiency, and decreasing the number of awakenings due to hot flashes).
