Effects of repeated administrations of dihydroergotoxine (Redergine) on the sleep-wakefulness cycle in the cat

Abstract

Investigations with dihydroergotoxine methane sulfonate (DHET, the active substance of Redergine) indicate that DHET acts on the sleep-wakefulness cycle of the cat by increasing wakefulness and slow-wave sleep and decreasing rapid eye movement sleep. DHET was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg for 5 successive days. The effects were fairly stable, although with a tendency to diminish with time. Such alterations in the sleep-wakefulness cycle are discussed as possible indices of the beneficial effects seen in elderly patients treated with DHET.