Some aspects of the effects of clobazam on human psychomotor performance

Abstract

1 Three studies are described, the first being a comparison of the effects of acute night-time doses of clobazam 20 mg, amylobarbitone sodium 100 mg, nitrazepam 5 mg and placebo, on choice reaction time, critical flicker fusion (CFF) and stabilometer performance. Clobazam improved early morning performance on a choice reaction test, in contrast to the other two active drugs. 2 Repeated doses of clobazam 10 mg three times daily, chlordiazepoxide 10 mg three times daily and diazepam 5 mg three times daily were given for 5 days. Again clobazam did not produce any impairment of psychomotor performance, and noticeably increased CFF thresholds. 3 The effects of an acute night-time dose of clobazam 20 mg on psychomotor performance the morning after night-time medication were correlated with the neuroticism scores (on the EPI) of the subjects. Clobazam exerts a differential effect on psychomotor performance dependent on the basic personality trait. 4 Clobazam seems to differ significantly from the 1,4-benzodiazepines in that, although it reduces anxiety, it does so without any apparent impairment of psychomotor performance.