Abstract
A study was conducted with forty neurotic or psychotic patients hospitalized at the Institut Albert Prévost and suffering from sleep disturbances. The goal of this experiment consisted in analyzing the hypnotic properties of nitrométhaqualone at a dosage of 25 and 50 mg., compared to a dosage of méthaqualone 300 mg. and a placebo. The evaluation was controlled by the following means: double-blind technique, use of randomized blocks, each patient being his own control.
The results obtained show that nitrométhaqualone 25 mg. is no more effective than placebo for induction and sleep duration; whereas nitrométhaqualone 50 mg. shows hypnotic properties resembling méthaqualone 300 mg. where sleep duration is concerned, but is ineffective where induction is involved.
We also deduct that the active medications produce no more secondary effects than placebo does.
On the whole we believe that méthaqualone 300 mg. remains a more satisfactory medication than nitrométhaqualone 50 mg.