Effects of thienodiazepine derivatives, etizolam and clotiazepam on the appearance of Fm theta.

The effects of new thienodiazepine anxiolytics, etizolam and clotiazepam, on the appearance of frontal midline theta activity (Fm theta) were studied by the double-blind crossover method. The results were as follows; 1) Both clotiazepam and placebo tended to increase the Fm theta appearance in all subjects, but etizolam showed no such tendency. 2) Clotiazepam significantly increased the Fm theta appearance as compared with placebo in subjects with a high neurotic tendency (N-scale of MPI above 19). 3) Clotiazepam tended to increase the Fm theta appearance as compared with placebo and etizolam in subjects with a high anxiety level (MAS score above 14). 4) Apparently more subjects complained of drowsiness after the administration of etizolam than after clotiazepam or placebo.