Deactivation by benzodiazepine of the basal forebrain and amygdala in normal humans during sleep: a placebo-controlled [15O]H2O PET study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to identify differences in regional brain activity between physiological and benzodiazepine-induced sleep to clarify the brain structures involved in the drug's hypnotic effect.


METHODS
Using positron emission tomography, they compared regional cerebral blood flow during non-REM sleep in nine volunteers treated with placebo or triazolam, a short-acting benzodiazepine, in a double-blind, crossover design.


RESULTS
Blood flow in the basal forebrain and amygdaloid complexes was lower during non-REM sleep when subjects were given triazolam than when they were given placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
The hypnotic effect of the benzodiazepines may be mediated mainly by deactivation of the forebrain control system for wakefulness and also by the anxiolytic effect induced by deactivation of the emotional center.
Kajimura
Naofumi
N
National Center Hospital for Mental, Neervous and Muscular Disorders, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan. kajimura@sa2.so-net.ne.jp
Nishikawa
Masami
M
Uchiyama
Makoto
M
Kato
Masaaki
M
Watanabe
Tsuyoshi
T
Nakajima
Toru
T
Hori
Toru
T
Nakabayashi
Tetsuo
T
Sekimoto
Masanori
M
Ogawa
Kenichi
K
Takano
Harumasa
H
Imabayashi
Etsuko
E
Hiroki
Masahiko
M
Onishi
Takashi
T
Uema
Takeshi
T
Takayama
Yutaka
Y
Matsuda
Hiroshi
H
Okawa
Masako
M
Takahashi
Kiyohisa
K
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism*; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004569:Electroencephalography; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000378:metabolism*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines