Sleep Spindle and Delta Changes during Chronic Use of a Short-Acting and a Long-Acting Benzodiazepine Hypnotic.

摘要

The goals of this study were to measure EEG sleep changes during 5 weeks of benzodiazepine use, describe the magnitude and pattern of change for a short-acting and a long-acting benzodiazepine, and determine if EEG changes were related to levels of drug in plasma. Twenty-one patients, 4 males and 17 females, mean age 43 + or - 12.7 years, participated. All were diagnosed as chronic insomniacs. After 3 baseline nights, all patients received placebos for 9 nights. Patients then received trizolam (0.5 mg), flurazepam (30 mg), or placebo for 37 nights. All patients received palcebo during 10 withdrawal nights. EEG (C3-A2 or C4 -A1) was recorded on FM tape for delta and spindle analysis on 7 of the 59 nights (placebo nights 1 and 7; treatment nights 6, 20, and 34, and placebo withdrawal nights 4 and 120). Detection of delta half waves (0.5-2.0 Hz) and sleep spindle bursts (11.75-15.0 Hz) during NREM sleep was accomplished off-line with the Smith Phasic EEG detector. Blood for plasma analysis was drawn before evening medication on baseline night 5 and treatment nights 3, 7, 21, 35, and on the fifth withdrawal night.