Influence of the cholinergic agonist SDZ 210-086 on sleep in healthy subjects

The administration of 1.0 mg SDZ 210-086, an orally acting muscarinic agonist, shortened rapid-eye movement (REM) latency, increased REM percent of sleep period time and the total duration of REM sleep, and decreased slow-wave sleep in 12 healthy male subjects. The administration of 0.5 mg SDZ 210-086 had no statistically significant effect on sleep variables. Although the tonic components of REM sleep (REM duration, the REM percent of sleep period time) were increased, REM density percent (total) was significantly decreased due to the prolongation of total REM duration (in minutes) and a parallel reduction of the total number of eye movements. This finding is in contrast to studies using other cholinomimetics (i.e., physostigmine, arecoline, and RS 86) and may implicate different generating systems of phasic and tonic REM sleep components.