Independent sleep EEG slow-wave and spindle band dynamics associated with 4 weeks of continuous application of short-half-life hypnotics in healthy subjects.

Objectives: Habituation and adverse withdrawal reactions after prolonged medication with benzodiazepine (BZ) hypnotics are believed to play a role in dose escalation and the development of dependence.

Methods: In the current sleep EEG study in 43 healthy male subjects, the known property of BZ- and similar hypnotics to change the NREM sleep EEG spectrum is utilized for a detailed quantitative analysis across 4 weeks of continuous medication and a subsequent two-week withdrawal period. The BZ hypnotic triazolam and the non-BZ hypnotics zopiclone and zolpidem, differing in pharmacological properties and reported adverse effects, were examined in parallel to a placebo group.

Results: Reliably occurring spectral effects in the sleep stage 2 EEG were found in the 3 frequency bands 0.8-5 Hz, 5-10 Hz and 10-15 Hz. All 3 hypnotics showed the typical 'benzodiazepine signature', a 10-15 Hz increase and lower-frequency (<10 Hz) suppression relative to the preceding drug-free night. However, these effects developed differently across the first medication night, across the 4 medication weeks and after withdrawal: While the 5-10 Hz effect covaried with the blood presence of the drugs as estimated from the known plasma half-lifes, showed habituation and a rebound after withdrawal, the 10-15 Hz power increased across medication days and showed no rebound. Effects in the 0.8-5 Hz band in the first medication night correlated with the decrease of sleep efficiency at later withdrawal for triazolam and zolpidem.