The pharmacodynamic influence of three benzodiazepines on rapid eye movements, K-complexes and sleep spindles in healthy volunteers

✍ Scribed by St. Kubicki; C. Haag-Wüsthof; J. Röhmel; W. M. Herrmann; W. Scheuler

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 674 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6222
• DOI: 10.1002/hup.470030404

✦ Synopsis

Berlin 19

'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.

KEY wom-Benzodiazepine hypnotics, effect on sleep parameters, REM suppression, changes in K-complexes and sleep spindles.