DO CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING AGENTS AFFECT BRAIN ACTIVITY - A COMPARISON OF SIMVASTATIN, PRAVASTATIN, AND PLACEBO IN HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS

1 The effects of simvastatin and pravastatin on measures of central ne rvous system activity were investigated in a double-blind, placebo-con trolled, randomised crossover study. 2 Twenty-five healthy volunteers sequentially took 40 mg day(-1) simvastatin, 40 mg day(-1) pravastatin or placebo for 4 weeks, separated by a 4-6 week washout phase. 3 CNS measures included EEG evoked potentials, power spectral analysis, Leed s Sleep Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD) Scale, and Di git Symbol Substitution Test (DSST); biochemical measures included pla sma cholesterol, liver enzymes (gamma-GT, AST, ALT) and creatine kinas e. 4 Mean cholesterol concentrations with both drugs were significantl y lower than with placebo, and the cholesterol-lowering effect was gre ater with simvastatin. There were no significant differences between t reatment in EEG evoked potentials, HAD Scale, or DSST scores. On the s leep measure, subjects reported significantly greater difficulty in ge tting to sleep while on simvastatin than on pravastatin, but neither s core differed from placebo. No significant correlations were observed between sleep ratings and either plasma cholesterol concentrations or EEG evoked potentials. 5 The study showed that, while both drugs reduc ed plasma cholesterol concentrations, neither exerted significant effe cts, compared with placebo, on EEG evoked potentials, mood, sleep, or cognitive performance after 4 weeks of chronic administration in healt hy volunteers.