Triazolam impairs learning and fails to improve sleep in a long-range aerial deployment

Of the soldiers deployed from the 18th Airborne Corps, Ft. Bragg, NC, on the Army's annual field exercise in the Middle East (Operation Brightstar) 68 received either placebo or 0.5 mg of triazolam once airborne on the first leg of their journey from the U.S. to the Middle East. Sleep and activity were measured during the flight by means of a wrist-worn activity monitor. Cognitive performance, mood, and sleepiness were measured 8 h after drug administration during a refueling stop in Europe. Triazolam did not increase the duration or improve the continuity of sleep during the 8-h flight from the U.S. to the refueling point. The scheduling of an inflight meal contributed to this lack of effect. There were no differences in mood or sleepiness between the two groups as assessed by the Profile of Mood States and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale. Ability to recall verbal material presented immediately prior to testing was impaired by triazolam 8 h after ingestion, as evidenced by fewer items recalled on the Logical Memory portion of the Wechsler Memory Scale. These results suggest that triazolam at a dose of 0.5 mg is unsuitable for use in long-range aerial deployments when unimpaired cognitive functioning is required immediately upon arrival.