Objective measurements of daytime sleepiness and performance comparing quazepam
with flurazepam in two adult populations using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test.
Author(s): Dement WC(1).
Affiliation(s): Author information:
(1)Stanford University Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center, Palo Alto, CA
94305.
Publication date & source: 1991, J Clin Psychiatry. , 52 Suppl:31-7
Daytime residual drowsiness and psychomotor performance were assessed for two
long half-life benzodiazepines, quazepam and flurazepam, in two randomized,
parallel, and double-blind studies in insomniacs. Seventeen middle-aged patients
took quazepam 15 mg or 30 mg, or flurazepam 30 mg; the 47-night study included 4
placebo baseline nights, 28 consecutive treatment nights, and 15 posttreatment
nights. Forty-eight geriatric patients took either flurazepam 15 mg, quazepam 15
mg, or placebo; the 15-night study included 1 placebo baseline night, 7 treatment
nights, and 7 posttreatment nights. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), an
objective test for measuring daytime sleepiness, and performance tests were
administered. In the first study, flurazepam patients were significantly (p less
than .05) sleepier after the 7th and 14th treatment nights when compared to
baseline, whereas quazepam patients were not. In the second study, flurazepam
patients were sleepier at midday (p less than .10) and late afternoon (p less
than .05) after 1 treatment week than were quazepam and placebo patients.
Performance test results suggested quazepam has a relatively low potential for
daytime impairment. Thus, quazepam 15 mg produces less daytime somnolence and
fewer psychomotor performance decrements than does flurazepam.
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