II. All-night EEG Studies of Chloral Hydrate, Flurazepam, and Methaqualone

Effect of Flurazepam on Sleep in the Laboratory

“…There appears to be general agreement that fiurazepam in the usual therapeutic dose does not do this (4,10,12). In contrast to the findings of the present investigation, Kales et al (10,12) reported that fiurazepam inhibited stage 4 sleep. It may be that a more prolonged or higher dosage than that used here would have that effect.…”

Traffic Noise-Induced Sleep Disturbances and Their Correction by an Anxiolytic Sedative, OX-373

“…Friedman's rank ANOVA of the pharmacodynamic data indicated a clear dose-efficacy relationship and suggested 30 mg OX-373 as equipotent to 30 mg flurazepam. The latter substance has been identi fied in previous all-night sleep EEG investi gations as an hypnotic drug by us and other investigators [Kales et al, 1969[Kales et al, , 1970Saletu, 1976]. Moreover, we found that the mentioned dosage of flurazepam (30 mg) induced a good subjectively experi enced sleep quality [Saletu and Itil, 1973], On the other hand, there were complaints in getting fully alert after 30 mg flurazepam Saletu, 1976], which seems to be due to the long half-life of the drug recently commented upon by Oswald [ 1979], The latter author postulated that the choice of an hypnotic should favor one whose action is confined as far as possible to nighttime, e.g., a compound that is in itself active and fairly quickly metabolized.…”

Mesoridazine and human sleep.

“…In comparison with the many reports of the effects of hypnotic drugs on sleep, two features of the present EEG study are of note. There was no sign of reduction in slow wave sleep, stages 3 + 4, during chronic intake, contrasting particularly with benzodiazepines such as flurazepam (Kales, Allen, Scharf & Kales, 1970: Kales, Kales, Scharf & Tan, 1970Kales & Scharf, 1973;Dement, Zarcone, Hoddes, Smythe & Carskadon, 1973), diazepam (Kales & Scharf, 1973), chlordiazepoxide (Hartmann & Cravens, 1973), and flunidazepam (Kales & Scharf, 1973;Oswald, Lewis, Tagney, Firth & Haider, 1973). Whereas REM sleep duration is reduced by most hypnotics, mesoridazine caused an increase above normal of REM sleep duration, consistent with which was a rebound fall below baseline after withdrawal.…”