REcovery from DEXmedetomidine-Induced Unresponsiveness (REDEX): A Study Protocol for a Single Center, Parallel Arm, Non-Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial in Healthy Volunteers.
Nature and science of sleep January 1, 2025 David R Schreier, Matteo Fecchio, Christian S Guay et al.
Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a sedative that produces a sleep-like state and offers a way to study shifts in consciousness using behavior, EEG, and TMS-evoked EEG responses. Little is known about how repeated DEX exposure affects recovery. This pilot trial plans to sedate 12 healthy volunteers twice, one week apart, monitoring responsiveness with an auditory click task. It will compare time to return of responsiveness between visits, explore sex differences, and assess state transitions via EEG signatures, TMS-evoked complexity, and cognitive tests. The study also evaluates the feasibility of TMS-EEG during DEX sedation and reports on sleep quality and experiences.