title: Deactivation by benzodiazepine of the basal forebrain and amygdala in normal humans during sleep: a placebo-controlled [15O]H2O PET study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: National Center Hospital for Mental, Neervous and Muscular Disorders, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan. kajimura@sa2.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kajimura
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakabayashi
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekimoto
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Harumasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Imabayashi
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiroki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uema
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: Kiyohisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines