[Psychological and physiological effects of cloxazolam and diazepam under anxiety-evoking and control conditions on healthy subjects (author's transl)].

The physical and psychophysiological effects of an orally administered single dose of 3 mg cloxazolam as compared to 5 mg diazepam and a placebo were investigated for 144 healthy male subjects using a double blind technique. In a pre-experimental test, the Ss were classified as either emotional stabiles or labiles, and in the experimental program of one four and half hour period were tested under either stress or control conditions. In order to create appropriate conditions for testing the tranquilizers, three stress situations that would induce anxiety were used: anticipation of an electric shock, preparation of a public speech and one due to failure in an achievement test. By combining these methods it was possible to sustain for 30 minutes in healthy Ss a state of anxiety or emotional activation which seemed suitable as a model for clinical anxiety. Under 5 mg diazepam rather week, but tranquilizer-typical effects were registered in both subjective and objective measures: an increase in self-confidence in emotional labiles, mood improvement, lower electrodermal responses and tranquilizer-typical EEG-pattern, but also subjective deactivating effects. The HR-increase elicited by anxiety induction was not influenced by Diazepam. Under 3 mg cloxazolam very similar effects to those under diazepam were apparent in the subjective measures; there was however, no mood improvement. Cloxazolam was judged as more strongly deactivating and fatigue inducing than diazepam. Cloxazolam was clearly different from diazepam with respect to its physiological effects, especially showing an obvious heart rate increase in the control group, which requires further investigation.