The study treated two groups of male university students with either the benzodiazepine triazolam or placebo. Then both groups underwent PET scans. In the experimental group, during non-REM sleep, cerebral blood flow decreased in the basal forebrain, amygdaloid complexes, Brodmann’s area, and the left neocortical regions. This supports the hypothesis that benzodiazepines’ hypnotic effects may result from the inhibition of the forebrain control system for wakefulness. Because of the deactivation of the amygdaloid complexes, which deal with emotional responses, by triazolam, it suggests that the anxiolytic properties of benzodiazepines are also associated with the hypnotic effects.
This is quite important to my topic as it provides biological evidence as to how benzodiazepines can negatively affect sleep and the brain’s functioning. However, other literature describes how REM sleep and learning are related; benzodiazepines reduce REM sleep and, thereby, learning. While this is mentioned briefly in the article, the results are only applicable to non-REM sleep. This leads me to find literature that deals primarily with REM sleep.
Kajimura, N., Nishikawa, M., Uchiyama, M., Kato, M., Watanabe, T., Nakajima, T., Hori, T., Nakabayashi, T., Sekimoto, M., Ogawa, K., Takano, H., Imabayashi, E., Hiroki, M., Onishi, T., Uema, T., Takayama, Y., Matsuda, H., Okawa, M., & Takahashi, K. (2004). Deactivation by benzodiazepine of the basal forebrain and amygdala in normal humans during sleep: A placebo-controlled [15O] H2O PET study. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 748-751.
That is very interesting. So the medication dampens the amygdala, interfering with REM sleep and learning. Is the learning particular to things that are intensely emotional or is learning depressed overall?
ReplyDeleteABK