Leonard Uhr

Behavioral effects of chronic administration of psychoactive drugs to anxious patients.

SummaryThe 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.

A Pilot Experiment on the Effects of Meprobamate on Stereoscopic Retinal Rivalry of Complementary Colors

Seven simple perceptual tasks from among those found by Eysenck, Granger and Brengelman ( 1957), and Vandenberg ( 1959) to discriminate among normal, neurotic and psychotic Ss were used in the present pilot study in an attempt to discover tests that might be sensitive to the effects of the tranquilizer meprobamate (Miltown, Equanil). Twelve normal male Ss (21 years of age or older) were tested, following a double-blind, counterbalanced design, one hour after ingestion of (a ) 1200 mg. meprobamate, and, serving as their own controls, ( b ) matching placebos (lactose). Only one of the seven tasks gave indications of possibly significant effects. The six non-significant effects were found on: ( 1 ) Binocular accomodation, blur; (2 ) Binocular accomodation, recovery; ( 3 ) Color Form Attitude (preference of stimuli because of their color or shape); (4) Sander Illusion; ( 5 ) Mueller-Lyer Illusion; and (6) Autokinetic effect, latency (first appearance of motion of a white spot in a black visual field). Only on a stereoscopic test of color oscillation, in which two patches (2 X 2 in. sq.) of complementary colors were presented, one to each eye, and superimposed by the stereoscope, making for a situation of retinal rivalry, was a statistically significant result found. On this test, which consisted of two 1-min. viewing periods for each of two sets of primaries (red vs. green and blue vs. yellow), a 16% decrease in the number of reversals occurred under meprobamate as compared with placebo ( p < .02). (Eysencks neurotic group scored significantly lower than his normal controls.) Because of the selective n a m e of this single result (one of seven t tests of significance compuced) and the small number of Ss tested, this possible tranquilizer effect on a perceptual task should be studied further before any conclusions are drawn.

Time and Dosage Effects of Meprobamate on Visual Detection

SummarySixteen male subjects, 21 years and older, were run in a doubleblind own-control design under three dosages of meprobamate (400, 800 and 1600 mg) and matching placebo, to determine response curves on a visual detection task over a four and one-half hour period, from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. To control for possible daily cycle effects two additional runs under placebo and 1600 mg meprobamate were conducted from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.The evening tests showed statistically significant dosage effects, time effects, and a significant drug by subject interaction. The morning tests showed no difference between performance under placebo as compared to 1600 mg of meprobamate, although there was a significant drug by subject interaction. This differential drug effect was discussed in terms of its possible dependency on the momentary physiological and psychological state of the individual and his diurnal metabolic rhythm.

A PILOT EXPERIMENT ON THE EFFECTS OF MEPROBAMATE AND OF PROCHLORPERAZINE ON TESTS OFCOGNITION AND PERCEPTION

This paper reports preliminary results as to the behavioral toxic effects of double-blind administration of tranquilizers on cognition and perception. Ss were all normal males, 2 1 years old or older. Ss were group-tested 1 hr. after random assignment to one of three treatments: ( a ) 800 mg. meprobamate ( 15 Ss), ( b ) 20 mg. prochlorperazine (17 Ss), or (c ) matching placebo, lactose ( 18 Ss) . Two tests were given immediately after Ss took pills (and therefore before the minimum of 15 min. in which the pill might begin to take effect), and again 1 hr. after ingestion. For these tests, change scores were used to analyze results. These tests were: ( 1 ) simple addition of two two-digit numbers, and ( 2 ) simple multiplication of a two-digit number by a onedigit number. For the rest of the battery, absolute scores were used to compare groups. Test 3 required S to alternate between multiplying and subtracting a one-digit number from a two-digit number. The remaining tests were taken from Guilfords battery measuring orthogonal factors of higher mental processes (Guilford, Kittner, & Christensen, 1956) : ( 4 ) Sentence Order (highest loading on Guilfords Verbal Fluency and Reasoning Ability Factors ) , ( 5 ) Picture Group Naming (Concept Formation), ( 6 ) Four Word Combinations (Verbal Fluency), ( 7 ) Essential Parts (Abstraction, Reasoning Ability), and ( 8 ) Absurdities (Reasoning Ability). Of the 16 t tests made (eight comparing each dtug with placebo), only two were statistically significant. Prochlorperazine, as compared with placebo, gave an 18% decrement on the Sentence Order test ( t < .01) and a 6% decrement on the Absurdities test ( t < .05). The relatively small magnitude of effects, even in the two statistically significant comparisons, indicates that this study must be confirmed and extended before any firm conclusions as to possible drug effects can be drawn. REFERENCE GUILFORD, J. P., KITTNER, N. W., & CHRISTENSEN, P. R. A factor analytic study across the domains of reasoning, creativity, and evaluation: 11. Administration of tests and analysis of results. Rep. Psychol. Lab., No. 16. Los Angeles: Univer. of Southern California, 1956.