[Adverse medical aspects of hypnotic therapy with temazepam]. / Verkehrsmedizinische Aspekte einer Schlafmitteltherapie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Temazepam.

In a double blind comparison the driving ability of 32 outpatients with disomnia was investigated in psychometrical tests and standardized trial runs in road traffic every morning after a single dose and after a 7-day therapy with 20 mg temazepam compared with 2 mg flunitrazepam. As well as standardized driving performance observation a test car was fitted with a drive-recorder which synchronically recorded and digitally registered at 1 s intervals during a 60 min run the speed, the steering wheel velocity, fore-hand-aft and lateral acceleration amongst other data. The individual optimal quotient, as a measure of the degree of efficiency of the information processed in the driver-vehicle-road system, deteriorated significantly after the single dose of flunitrazepam as opposed to temazepam. In a trial run on a well defined test course under strictly standardized conditions, the steering wheel velocity, signifying the quality of steering ability, was highly significantly increased after the single dose as well as after the 7-day treatment with flunitrazepam therefore showing a distinct deterioration of steering ability compared to the temazepam group. The number of errors in technical handling was significantly highly with flunitrazepam at both control time checks than with temazepam.

[Electroencephalography and psychometric measurements during the treatment of cerebral insufficiency with nicergoline and dihydroergotamine mesylate]. / Elektroenzephalographische und psychometrische Messungen bei der Behandlung der zerebralen Insuffizienz mit Nicergolin und Dihydroergotaminmesilat.

28 persons with an average age of 55 years were treated for 180 days with daily doses of 30 mg nicergoline (Sermion) and 28 persons of a comparable age were treated for the same length of time with 6 mg dihydroergotamine mesilate (DHETM) daily. Unwanted reactions occurred to a small degree in both treatment groups; they were mostly of a temporary nature and did not impede continuation of treatment. The results of the psychometric tests showed an increase in performance in both groups which was partly caused by the learning effect in repeated tests. The answers given by the patients concerning subjective changes in symptoms and general condition showed no significant differences between the two treatment groups. This leads to the assumption that both compounds have a similar effect. The analyses of the EEG activities showed a characteristic increase in the fast EEG activities after the application of nicergoline. This would indicate that there are differences in the pharmacodynamics in comparison with DHETM.