The "benzodiazepine signature"

All three hypnotics induce similar changes in the sleep EEG:
  • attenuation of low-frequency activity
  • enhancement of spindle frequency activity

This pattern is called the spectral "benzodiazepine signature", even though chemically some of the compounds (i.e. zopiclone, zolpidem) are not benzodiazepines. However, they all act upon the benzodiazepine receptor.

Details

Color bars indicate significant deviation from placebo level (100%).

Note difference in scale.

 

Zolpidem 10 mg, zopiclone 7.5 mg, midazolam 15 mg.

Ref.: Trachsel et al., 1990; Brunner et al., 1991

 

 

 

©1998 BITS OF SLEEP (Demo) : Pharmacological manipulations of sleep: Benzodiazepine hypnotics and analogs in the EEG.