Sedative, memory, and performance effects of hypnotics.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Double-blind randomized controlled trial with repeated measures (crossover design)
PubMed 7862941 · doi:10.1007/BF02245054
What was done
A double-blind, repeated-measures trial evaluated the sedative, amnestic, and psychomotor effects of triazolam (0.25 and 0.50 mg), zolpidem (10 and 20 mg), and placebo in 23 healthy subjects (mean age 26.8 ± 1.0 years). Medications were administered at bedtime, and participants were awakened 90 minutes later (approximate peak drug concentration) to complete a 30-minute test battery assessing memory (immediate and delayed), vigilance, and psychomotor tasks. Delayed recall was also reassessed the following morning.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact test scores, effect sizes, or p-values. Relative to placebo, each drug and dose impaired immediate memory, delayed memory, vigilance, and psychomotor performance. Across active treatments, impairment followed a consistent hierarchy: zolpidem 20 mg > triazolam 0.50 mg > zolpidem 10 mg > triazolam 0.25 mg. All active doses caused anterograde amnesia evident on next-morning delayed recall. Amnestic and disruptive effects paralleled hypnotic effects, with no functional selectivity observed.
Why it matters
These results demonstrate that the selective Bz1 agonist zolpidem causes peak-concentration and next-morning cognitive and psychomotor impairments comparable to the non-selective benzodiazepine triazolam when given at equivalent hypnotic doses.
Limits
The study had a small sample size (n = 23) restricted to young healthy individuals, which may not generalize to older populations or clinical insomnia patients. The abstract omits precise quantitative performance scores, variability, and p-values. Testing involved a forced awakening at 90 minutes post-dose, which does not represent typical uninterrupted sleep conditions.
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