Residual effects of temazepam and other hypnotic compounds on cognitive function.

The morning after effects of taking single doses of three hypnotic compounds were compared in a five-group design, including the three drug conditions (temazepam, flurazepam, barbiturate), placebo, and no capsule controls. Results showed a slight superiority for temazepam over barbiturate on visual-motor and reaction time tasks. On one phase of a cognitive task, the barbiturate and flurazepam groups made more errors than the control groups. Overall, the results indicate an impairment in performance for the group taking barbiturate and a smaller impairment for the flurazepam group. No detectable impairment occurred for subjects taking temazepam.