Skip to main content
Log in

The effect of niaprazine on some common sleep disorders in children

A double-blind clinical trial by means of continuous home-videorecorded sleep

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Child's Nervous System Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial on the effect of niaprazine on children with some common sleep disorders was carried out. Niaprazine at a daily dosage of 1 mg/kg body weight or placebo at random was administered to a selected group of 36 children (aged from 6 months to 6 years) suffering from frequent nighttime waking or inability to fall asleep. The effect of niaprazine (or placebo) on sleep disorders was studied by means of continuous home-videorecorded sleep before and after the trial. A reliable positive effect of niaprazine on the sleep disorders considered was found. No adverse side effects were observed. We conclude that niaprazine seems to reprensent an effective and safe drug for the therapy of frequent nighttime waking and inability to fall asleep.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anders TF (1978) Home-recorded sleep in two- and nine-month-old infants. J Acad Child Psychol 17: 421–432

    Google Scholar 

  2. Anders TF (1979) Night-waking in infants during the first years of life. Pediatrics 63: 860–864

    Google Scholar 

  3. Anders TF, Sostek A (1976) The use of time-lapse videorecording of sleep-wake behaviour in human infants. Psychophysiology 13: 155–158

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bax MC (1980) Sleep disturbance in the young child. BMJ 5: 1177–1179

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bax MC Hart H (1976) Health needs of preschool children. Arch Dis Child 51: 848–852

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bernal JF (1973) Nightwaking in infants during the first 14 months. Dev Med Child Neurol 15: 760–769

    Google Scholar 

  7. Besana R, Fiocchi A, De Bartolomeis L, Magno F, Donati C (1984) Comparison of niaprazine and placebo in pediatric behaviour and sleep disorders: double blind clinical trial. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp 26: 56–58

    Google Scholar 

  8. Caccia S, Fong MH, Garattini S, Notarnicola A (1985) 1-Ayl-piperazine as active metabolites of drugs with an aryl-piperazine side-chain. Biochem Pharmacol 34: 393–394

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ceccarelli M, Placidi GF, Bertieri RS (1986) Valutazione clinica della niaprazina nel trattamento dei disturbi del sonno in età pediatrica: studio clinico in doppio cieco contro placebo. Riforma Med 101: 63–67

    Google Scholar 

  10. De Paillerets F, Dugas M, Gallet JP Gallet P, Barochet Y de (1971) Etude d'un sédatif de l'enfants dans 5 services de pédiatrie. Med praticienne I: 96–98

    Google Scholar 

  11. Duchenne-Marullaz P, Rispat G, Perriere JP, Hache J, Labrid C (1971) De quelques proprietés pharmacodynamiques de la niapranzine, nouvel antihistaminique. Therapie 26: 1203–1209

    Google Scholar 

  12. Durand VM, Mindell JA (1990) Behavioral treatment of multiple childhood sleep disorders. Effect on child and family. Behav Modif 14: 37–49

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ferber R (1987) The sleepless child. In: Guilleminault C (ed) Sleep and its disorders in children. Raven Press, New York, pp 141–163

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gallet JP (1985) Etude d'un sedatif à effet hypnotique chez 50 entfants présentant un trouble du sommeil. Med Infant 4: 475–479

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hache J, Tachon J (1976) Effets psicholeptiques et action sur le taux de monoamines cérébrales chez la souris d'un antihistaminique: la niaprazine. J Pharmacol. 7: 469–478

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kaene PE, Strolin Benedetti M (1979) Niaprazine a selective brain catecholamine depletor. Neuropharmacology 18: 595–600

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kaene PE, Strolin Benedetti M, Dow J (1982) The effect of niaprazine on the turnover of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine in the rat brain. Neuropharmacology 21: 163–169

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ottaviano S, Cortesi F, Giannotti F, Innocenzi M, Guidetti V, Benedetti P (1988) II videosonnogramma domiciliare nella valutazione del sonno del bambino: esperienze e prospettive. Acta Paediatr Lat 41: 457–461

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ounsted MK, Simons CD (1978) The first born child: toddlers problems. Dev Med Child Neurol 20: 710–719

    Google Scholar 

  20. Riese ML (1987) Longitudinal assessment of temperament from birth to 2 years: a comparison of full-term and preterm infants. Infant Behav Dev 10: 347–363

    Google Scholar 

  21. Salzarulo P, Chevalier A (1983) Sleep problems in children and their relationship with early disturbances of the waking-sleeping rhythms. Sleep 6: 47–51

    Google Scholar 

  22. Simonoff EA, Stores G (1986) Controlled trial of trimeprazine tartrate for night waking. Arch Dis Child 62: 253–257

    Google Scholar 

  23. What can be done for night waking in children? (1987) Lancet II: 948–949

  24. Zucconi M, Mondini S, Gerardi R, Petrorelli R, Donati C, Bertieri RS, Cirignotta F (1988) Niaprazine: a polysomnographic study of nocturnal sleep and daytime sleepiness in healthy volunteers. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp 44: 118–132

    Google Scholar 

  25. Zuckerman B, Stevenson S, Bailey V (1987) Sleep problems in early childhood: continuities, predictive factors, and behavioral correlates. Pediatrics 80: 664–671

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ottaviano, S., Giannotti, F. & Cortesi, F. The effect of niaprazine on some common sleep disorders in children. Child's Nerv Syst 7, 332–335 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304832

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304832

Key words

Navigation