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An electroencephalographic study of the effects of meprobamate on human sleep
Author(s) -
Freemon Frank R.,
Agnew Harman W.,
Williams Robert L.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt196562172
Subject(s) - meprobamate , electroencephalography , anesthesia , sleep (system call) , placebo , audiology , psychology , sleep stages , medicine , neuroscience , polysomnography , alternative medicine , pathology , computer science , operating system
The effect of meprobamate on human sleep and dreaming was assessed in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study by means of all‐night electroencephalography. On nights when meprobamate was ingested in a dose of 400 mg. at 9:00 P.M. and 800 mg. at 12:00 A.M., normal subiects spent significantly less time in sleep accompanied by low‐voltage fast EEG waves and more time in sleep manifested by spindling in the EEG than when receiving placebo. The time spent in rapid eye movement periods, which are related to visual dreaming, was decreased by meprobamate. This study shows that meprobamate characteristically alters the amount of time spent in each sleep stage and significantly decreases inferred oisual dreaming. Comparisons are made between the changes in the human electroencephalogram during sleep produced by meprobamate and those produced by the barbiturates.