CARBAMATES AND BENZODIAZEPINES HAVE DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON DETOXIFIED ALCOHOLICS SLEEP POLYGRAPHY

We showed in a previous work that tetrabamate (molecular complex compo sed of febarbamate, difebarbamate and phenobarbital) induced delta sle ep in alcoholics, compared to diazepam. The aim of the present study w as to test the hypothesis that the effect of tetrabamate on delta slee p was due to the carbamate part of the drug. We compared the effects o f diazepam, tetrabamate, and meprobamate on 32 recently detoxified alc oholic inpatients' sleep polygraphy. Except for sleep duration and wak e after sleep onset, tetrabamate and meprobamate groups had a similar polygraphic profile, in contrast to diazepam. Compared to the diazepam group, tetrabamate and meprobamate groups showed a decrease in stage 2 and an increase in stage 4. The effects of tetrabamate and meprobama te on stage 4, compared to diazepam, had comparable amplitudes. We pro pose the hypothesis that carbamates exert their action on delta sleep through an antagonist effect on 5HT-2 or histamine H1 receptors.