Psychoactive drugs and stimulus analysis: V. The experimental discrimination of tranquillizing and sedative drugs

Abstract

Chlordiazepoxide, a tranquillizing (anxiolytic) agent, is compared with phenobarbitone, a sedative with some anxiolytic properties, in a behavioural drug classification test. It is shown that in the case of chlordiazepoxide there is a marked inhibition of stimulus analysis but little effect upon motor activity; phenobarbitone produces some suppression of stimulus processing but has an even more marked suppresssnt effect on motor activity. However, phenobarbitone is also found to affect memory formation and when corrections are applied to the data to take account of this factor, the classification profile of phenobarbitone is greatly modified. The findings are discussed in the light of a model of affective disorders and psychoactive drug action based on dysfunctioning of stimulus analysis mechanisms.