Skip to main content
Log in

Effect of zolpidem on sleep in insomniac patients

  • Originals
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The effect of zolpidem 10 mg p.o. on sleep in patients with persistent psychophysiological insomnia was assessed by polysomnographic recordings.

An improvement in sleep with no rebound insomnia was observed during treatment for two weeks. Time awake after the onset of sleep was reduced after one week and increased after two weeks, whereas sleep latency remained reduced.

Zolpidem markedly increased the duration of Stage 2 sleep without affecting either slow wave sleep or REM sleep. Subjective evaluation of improvement in sleep was well correlated with sleep laboratory findings. Zolpidem did not impair the immediate memory or psychomotor performance of patients on the morning after its administration. Side-effects during the period of drug administration included drowsiness, fatigue, headache, anxiety and irritability. They were mild or moderate and wore off soon after awakening.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akiskal HS, Lemmi H, Yerevanian B, King D, Belluomini J (1982) The utility of the REM latency test in psychiatric diagnosis: A study of 81 depressed outpatients. Psychiatry Res 7: 101–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbilla S, Allen J, Wick A, Langer SZ (1986) High affinity [3H] zolpidem binding in the rat brain: An imidazopyridine with agonist properties at central benzodiazepine receptors. Eur J Pharmacol 130: 257–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Depoortere H, Zivkovic B, Lloyd KG, Sanger DJ, Perrault G, Langer SZ, Bartholini G (1986) Zolpidem, a novel nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic. I. Neuropharmacological and behavioral effects. J Pharmacol exp Ther 237: 649–658

    Google Scholar 

  • Grünberger J (1977) Psychodiagnostik des Alkoholkranken. Methodischer Beitrag zur Bestimmung der Organizität in der Psychiatrie. Maudrich, Wien

    Google Scholar 

  • Holm S (1979) A simple sequentially rejective multiple test procedure. Scand J Stat 6: 65–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Kales A, Kales JD (1984) Evaluation and treatment of insomnia. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Monti JM (1981) Sleep laboratory and clinical studies of the effects of triazolam, flunitrazepam and flurazepam in insomniac patients. Methods Find Expt Clin Pharmacol 3: 303–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Monti JM, Debellis J, Gratadoux E, Alterwain P, Altier H, D'Angelo L (1982) Sleep laboratory study of the effects of midazolam in insomniac patients. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 21: 479–484

    Google Scholar 

  • Monti JM, Alterwain P, Debellis J, Altier H, Pellejero T, Monti D (1987) Short-term sleep laboratory evaluation of midazolam in chronic insomniacs. Arzneimittelforsch/Drug Res 37: 54–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Monti JM (1988) Toward a third generation of hypnotics. In: Sauvanet JP, Langer SZ, Morselli PL (eds) Imidazopyridines in sleep disorders. Raven Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson AN, Pascoe DA (1986) Hypnotic activity on an imidazopyridine (zolpidem). Br J Clin Pharmacol 21: 205–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Rechtschaffen A, Kales A (1968) A manual of standardized terminology, techniques and scoring system for sleep stages in human subjects. National Institute of Health Publ. 204. US Government Printing Office, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth T, Zorick F, Witting R, Roehrs T (1982) Pharmacological and medical considerations in hypnotic use. Sleep 5: S46-S52

    Google Scholar 

  • Thénot JP, Hermann PH, Durand A, Burke JT, Allen J, Garrigau D, Vajta S, Albin H, Thébault JJ, Olive G, Warrington SJ (1988) Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of zolpidem in various animal species and humans. In: Sauvanet JP, Langer SZ, Morselli PL (eds) Imidazopyridines in sleep disorders. Raven Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler D (1977) A manual for the Wechsler adult intelligence scale. Psychological Corporation, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams RL, Karacan I (1978) Introduction. In: Williams RL, Karacan I (eds) Sleep disorders. Diagnosis and treatment. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Monti, J.M. Effect of zolpidem on sleep in insomniac patients. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 36, 461–466 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00558070

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00558070

Key words

Navigation