Effects of single and multiple doses of dexnafenodone, imipramine and placebo on sleep of young healthy volunteers

✍ Scribed by H. Schulz; U. Legler; M. Jobert; G. Greger

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 414 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6222
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1077(199605)11:3<211::aid-hup789>3.0.co;2-t

✦ Synopsis

The effects on polygraphically recorded sleep of single and repeated doses of dexnafenodone (20 mg daily) were determined in 12 young, healthy subjects, and compared to those of imipramine (75 mg daily: six subjects) and placebo (six subjects). After two adaptation nights, sleep was recorded at baseline (night 0), and after the first (night 1) and last (night 5) evening administration of the study drugs. REM sleep was substantially inhibited in both nights under the two active treatments, whereby the effect appeared immediately. With the exception of slow wave sleep (SWS), which was more reduced in night 1 under imipramine than under dexnafenodone, the other sleep stages were essentially unchanged. Time awake during bed rest increased under both active treatments, with a more rapid increase under dexnafenodone. Dexnafenodone, a potent inhibitor of noradrenaline, and to a lesser degree of serotonin reuptake, induced changes in the pattern of sleep which are comparable to those of non-sedating tricyclic antidepressants. The mode of action as well as the pharmacodynamic profile of dexnafenodone led to the expectation that this new substance will show antidepressive activity on a clinical level.