Action of the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15-1788 in humans after sleep withdrawal.

Subsequent to one night of sleep withdrawal the specific benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15-1788 was infused to 5 healthy volunteers using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design. Using several standardized psychological tests (viso-motor tracking task, complex choice reaction time, trail making test, visual attention and concentration), no performance-improving effects of Ro 15-1788 could be demonstrated. The results are discussed regarding the possible existence of endogenous benzodiazepine ligands.