Effects of single oral doses of bromazepam, buspirone and clobazam on performance tasks and memory

Three anxiolytic drugs (bromazepam 3 mg, buspirone 10 mg, and clobazam 10 mg p.o.) were evaluated for their effects on memory, psychomotor performance and subjective response in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in 20 healthy volunteers. At each session, measurements were made before and 2 and 6 h after drug administration. The psychometric tests used were the images test, digit/symbol substitution test (DSST), choice reaction time (CRT), and critical fusion frequency (CFF). Free recall after 30 s in the 2-hour session was altered for all 3 drugs as compared to placebo (p less than 0.01), but in the 6-hour session only bromazepam showed a significant difference (p less than 0.05). The number of symbols reproduced by subjects during DSST was significantly decreased by bromazepam and buspirone as compared to placebo (p less than 0.05), whereas clobazam showed no differences with placebo. Analysis of variance for all four treatments (the 3 drugs and the placebo) showed no differences at recognition time or for motor response in CRT, except between bromazepam and clobazam after 6 h (p less than 0.05). None of the drugs altered performance during CFF (except bromazepam), and clobazam actually improved performance. All the drugs studied disturbed acquisition phenomena or restitution of memory; however, only bromazepam and buspirone significantly modified performance during DSST and disturbed the recognition and processing of sensory data.