CLINICAL EVALUATION OF 4 HYPNOTIC AGENTS USING LATIN-SQUARE DESIGN

  • 1 January 1964
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 91  (9) , 435-+
Abstract
A double-blind study with a Latin-square design was undertaken on 25 elderly patients, using a placebo and 4 hypnotic drugs: ethchlorvynol 500 mg, glutethimide 500 mg, chloral hydrate 500 mg, and secobarbital sodium 100 mg. The trial lasted for 5 weeks. The drugs were all effective compared with the placebo, differences in sleeping time being statistically significant. Differences between these 4 drugs were not statistically significant. Sleep was induced soonest by secobarbital and ethchlorvynol. Ethchlorvynol and glutethimide had a relatively somewhat longer period of activity than the others. Glutethimide produced most side effects, especially morning drowsiness. Ethchlorvynol and chloral hydrate produced relatively few cases of drowsiness.