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Triazolam as a discriminative stimulus in humans
A H Oliveto1, W K Bickel, J R Hughes
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington 05401-1419.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|June 1, 1992
Summary
Healthy volunteers learned to distinguish triazolam, a benzodiazepine, from placebo. Triazolam produced dose-dependent increases in correct drug identification, sedation, and perceived drug strength, confirming its discriminative effects.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for anxiety and insomnia.
- Understanding the discriminative stimulus properties of benzodiazepines is crucial for assessing their subjective effects and abuse potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To train healthy volunteers to discriminate between the benzodiazepine triazolam and placebo.
- To determine the dose-effect curve of triazolam's discriminative stimulus properties.
Main Methods:
- Seven healthy adults underwent training to differentiate triazolam (0.32 mg/70 kg) from placebo.
- A drug discrimination paradigm was employed, followed by dose-effect curve determination for triazolam (0.1-0.75 mg/70 kg).
Main Results:
- All subjects successfully acquired the triazolam-placebo discrimination, achieving 85-95% accuracy at 0.32 mg/70 kg.
- Triazolam administration resulted in dose-related increases in correct drug identification, self-reported sedation, and perceived drug strength.
Conclusions:
- A reliable triazolam-placebo discrimination can be established in humans.
- The discriminative stimulus effects of triazolam are dose-dependent and associated with subjective reports of sedation.