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The pharmacodynamic influence of three benzodiazepines on rapid eye movements, K‐complexes and sleep spindles in healthy volunteers
Author(s) -
Kubicki St.,
HaagWüsthof C.,
Röhmel J.,
Herrmann W. M.,
Scheuler W.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.470030404
Subject(s) - triazolam , flunitrazepam , sleep spindle , benzodiazepine , rapid eye movement sleep , sleep (system call) , eye movement , lorazepam , hypnotic , anesthesia , psychology , slow wave sleep , non rapid eye movement sleep , pharmacology , chemistry , medicine , electroencephalography , neuroscience , receptor , computer science , operating system
Abstract ‘Equipotent’ doses of lormetazepam, triazolam and flunitrazepam were studied for their effect on K‐complexes, sleep spindles and rapid eye movements (REM). Receptor affinity was used as the criterion for equipotency. This showed that triazolam, lormetazepam and flunitrazepam display a ratio to each other of 1:2:4. However, it was found that lormetazepam caused only slight changes in the three neurophysiological parameters despite being given at twice the dose considered to be equipotent. In contrast, triazolam and flunitrazepam produced a great reduction in the number of K‐complexes, a marked increase in sleep spindles and a substantial reduction of REM activity; both substances suppressed the first REM period, and flunitrazepam even suppressed the second in some cases. The influence of all three benzodiazepines on the dissociation of K‐complexes and sleep spindles is, however, equal; epochs with either K‐complexes or sleep spindles are favoured compared to epochs with both K‐complexes and sleep spindles. The general reduction in the number of K‐complexes and increase in sleep spindles can be interpreted as a sleep‐protective effect. However, the parameter for dose‐finding should be REM suppression, since this has the most profound adverse effect on the cyclical structure of sleep—now considered to be the most reliable indicator of a balanced sleep pattern.