Abstract
Twelve healthy volunteers were given butobarbitone 100 and 200 mg, nitrazepam 5 and 10 mg and 2 lactose dummy treatments, at 23.00 hours at weekly intervals over 6 weeks according to a balanced design and using double blind conditions. Performance was studied between 09.00 hours and 17.00 hours the following day. Significant (P<0.05) impairment of tapping rate and digit symbol substitution occurred. No significant differences occurred between performance after active drug and dummy in auditory vigilance, and subjective effects. Examination of individual differences in the response of subjects to the 4 hypnotic drug treatments, compared with their responses after dummy, indicated that subjects could be divided into two groups. One group consistently rated themselves as more alert after hypnotics and their vigilance performance improved. The other group consistently were more drowsy after hypnotics and their performance was impaired. It is suggested that the improvement in the first group resulted from improved sleep quality sufficient to counteract the residual effect of the hypnotic, whereas the second group merely showed the residual effects of the drugs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, R. G.: Pre-sleep ingestion of two hypnotic drugs and subsequent performance. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.)40, 185–190 (1974)
Aitken, R. C. B.: A growing edge of measurement of feelings. Proc. roy. Soc. Med.62, 989–993 (1969)
Bond, A. J., Lader, M. H.: Residual effects of hypnotics. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.)25, 117–132 (1972)
Bond, A. J., Lader, M. H.: Residual effects of flurazepam. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.)32, 223–235 (1973)
Bond, A. J., Lader, M. H.: Residual effects of flunitrazepam. Brit. J. clin. Pharmacol.2, 143–150 (1975)
Borland, R. G., Nicholson, A. N.: Human performance after a barbiturate (heptabarbitone). Brit. J. clin. Pharmacol.1, 209–215 (1974)
Broadbent, D. E., Gregory, M.: Vigilance considered as a statistical decision. Brit. J. Psychol.54, 309–323 (1963)
Bye, C., Dewsbery, D., Peck, A. W.: Effects on the human central nervous system of two isomers of ephedrine and triprolidine and their interaction. Brit. J. clin. Pharmacol.1, 71–78 (1974)
Hart, J., Hill, H. M., Bye, C. E., Wilkinson, R. T., Peck, A. W.: The effects of low doses of amylobarbitone sodium and diazepam on human performance. Brit. J. clin. Pharmacol.3, 289–298 (1976)
Kornetsky, C., Vates, T. S., Kessler, E. K.: A comparison of hypnotic and residual psychological effects of single doses of chlorpromazine and secobarbital in man. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther.127, 51–54 (1959)
Lader, M. H., Norris, H.: The effects of nitrous oxide on the human auditory evoked response. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.)16, 115–127 (1969)
Malpas, A., Rowan, A. J., Joyce, C. R. B., Scott, D. F.: Persistent behavioural and encephalographic changes after single doses of nitrazepam and amylobarbitone sodium. Brit. med. J.1970II, 762–764
Norris, H.: The actions of sedatives on brain stem oculomotor systems in man. Neuropharmacology10, 181–189 (1971)
Poulton, E. C.: Environment and human efficiency. Springfield, Ill.: Thomas 1970
Taub, J. M., Berger, R. J.: Acute shifts in the sleep-wakefulness cycle: effects on performance and mood. Psychosom. Med.36, 164–173 (1974)
Taub, J. M., Globus, G. G., Phoebus, E., Drury, R.: Extended sleep and performance. Nature (Lond.)233, 142–143 (1971)
Wilkinson, R. T.: Sleep deprivation: performance tests for partial and selective sleep deprivation. Progr. clin. Psychol.8, 28–43 (1968)
Wilkinson, R. T.: Methods for research on sleep deprivation and sleep function. Int. Psychiat. clin.7, 369–382 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peck, A.W., Adams, R., Bye, C. et al. Residual effects of hypnotic drugs: Evidence for individual differences on vigilance. Psychopharmacology 47, 213–216 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00735826
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00735826