Behavioral response to diazepam in a residential laboratory

Abstract

Two groups of three healthy adult male volunteers without histories of sedative or other drug abuse participated in 15-day residential studies. Each day consisted of a private work period (10 am to 4:30 pm), during which subjects participated in traditional laboratory performance tasks, and a social period (5 to 11:30 pm), during which subjects had access to recreational activities available under social or private conditions. Tobacco cigarettes and food were available throughout each day (9 am to 12 pm). Diazepam (5 or 10 mg/70 kg) or placebo was administered orally twice daily in alternating three-consecutive-day intervals. Dosing order varied between groups. Diazepam had no effect on the total amount of time subjects spent in social conditions; however, the low dose increased verbal interaction, while the high dose decreased verbal interaction. Both doses disrupted performance on a second-order repeated-acquisition task but produced no effects on the other performance measures. Five of six subjects increased caloric intake following at least one dose, with the largest increases observed in subjects with the lowest baseline intake. Increases in subject reports of dose “Potency” and “Sedated” were also observed following the high dose. Diazepam doses routinely used in clinical settings influeced a variety of behaviors that are observed in the natural ecology, but not performance on accepted laboratory tasks.