Effects of a 1,5-benzodiazepine derivative upon performance in an experimental stress situation

Psychological performance tasks were given to normal subjects under different conditions of experimental stress: high stress (being filmed on video), or low stress (tested without filming); and after different pharmacological treatments: clobazam 20 mg (an anxiolytic 1,5-benzodiazepine derivative), or placebo. On all five performance assessments (choice reaction times, serial subtraction times, critical flicker fusion values), there was a consistent tendancy for clobazam performance to be comparatively better under high stress, and for placebo performance to be comparatively better under low stress. From these, and previous similar findings, it seems that the level of experimental "stress" under which subjects are tested, can have important influences upon the psychopharmacological performance levels obtained.