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. 1979;8(Suppl 1):39S–42S. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1979.tb00454.x

Performance studies with diazepam and its hydroxylated metabolites

A N Nicholson
PMCID: PMC1429626  PMID: 508502

Abstract

1 Visuo-motor coordination has been used to study the immediate and residual effects of benzo-diazepines on performance in man. The technique provides dose and time response data related to the decrement and the persistence of impaired performance.

2 With the overnight ingestion of flurazepam hydrochloride 30 mg and nitrazepam 10 mg, performance was impaired to 16 h and, at least, 19 h, respectively. Performance was not impaired after the overnight ingestion of diazepam, 5 and 10 mg, temazepam 10, 20 and 30 mg or oxazepam 15 and 30 mg. However, with temazepam 30 mg there was a trend toward impaired performance, and with oxazepam 45 mg, performance was impaired 10 h after ingestion. With morning ingestion, coordination was impaired 0.5 and 2.5 h after diazepam 10 mg, at 0.5 h after temazepam 20 mg, and after oxazepam 30 mg at 2.5 and 4.5 hours.

3 The studies suggest that diazepam 5-10 mg, temazepam 10-20 mg and oxazepam 15-30 mg may be of use in the management of sleep disturbance when impaired performance the next day is to be avoided.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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