Summary
The effects of chronic administration of (a) 1600 mg. meprobamate, (b) five Tranquil tablets (the maximum recommended daily dose), and (c) placebos were examined, in a counterbalanced partially blinded design. Thirty-two subjects, including 23 anxious patients, employed as their own controls, were given behavioral tests, psychiatric interviews, and ratings at the end of each 21 day treatment period.
On the behavioral tests, meprobamate led to a slowing of reaction time in simulated driving at high speed, accompanied by a slight lowering of accuracy, and an improvement in accuracy of time estimations under a distracting influence. Tranquil led to a similar slowing of reaction time at high speed, along with a nonsignificant tendency toward decreased accuracy, and significantly poorer visual acuity and hyperventilation scores.
On psychiatric evaluations, meprobamate led to marked psychological reactions, daytime sleepiness, longer nighttime sleep, greater restfulness, better retention, need for more physical effort, less tension, decreased appetite, and a feeling that the drug was active. Tranquil led to similar effects as to psychological reactions, daytime sleepiness, nighttime sleep, need for more physical effort, decreased appetite, and judgment of drug activity but no increase in restfulness, improved retention, or lessened tension.
Self-ratings did not differentiate between the three treatments. Ratings by observers indicated decreased anxiety under meprobamate and decreased symptoms under both treatments.
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The authors wish to thank Mr. Gershom Morningstar for conducting the behavioral tests, Drs. Ralph W. Gerard and E. Lowell Kelly for consultation in planning and designing the experiment, Mrs. Mona Morningstar and Messrs. Cameron Yerian and Arthur Platz for help in coding, and Dr. George Fink and The University of Michigan Health Service for referring patients. Partial support and drugs for this study were supplied by the United States Food and Drug Administration, and part from USPHS Grant No. M-1871, Dr. James G. Miller, Principal Investigator.
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Uhr, L., Pollard, J.C. & Miller, J.G. Behavioral effects of chronic administration of psychoactive drugs to anxious patients. Psychopharmacologia 1, 150–168 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409114
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409114