INFLUENCE OF THE CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITOR GALANTHAMINE HYDROBROMIDE ON NORMAL SLEEP

Evidence from animal experiments has suggested that the triggering and maintenance of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is mainly under the con trol of cholinergic neurons in the brain stem. Correspondingly, studie s in humans have demonstrated that the application of cholinergic agon ists or cholinesterase inhibitors provokes an earlier onset of REM sle ep. The present study investigated the influence of galanthamine hydro bromide, a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor, on REM sleep regulatio n in 18 healthy volunteers. After an adaptation night, the subjects we re given two doses of galanthamine (10 mg and 15 mg) or placebo at 10 p.m. in a randomized double-blind design. Both doses of galanthamine s hortened REM latency (with statistical significance depending on the d efinition of REM latency used), increased REM density, and reduced slo w wave sleep mainly in the first non-REM cycle. Higher doses of galant hamine (15 mg) seem to be accompanied by unwanted side effects that wa rrant the application of a peripheral antidote. These results are comp arable to those for other cholinomimetics and stress the usefulness of galanthamine for pharmacological challenge studies in healthy subject s and depressed patients.