Buspirone and diazepam: comparison of subjective, psychomotor and biological effects.

The effects of oral buspirone (BUS, 10 mg) and diazepam (DZP, 10 mg) were studied in 12 healthy women volunteers using subjective ratings, objective tests of psychomotor and cognitive functions and urinary dosage of catecholamine output. Drugs were randomly administered to the same subjects, in a crossover, double-blind study, each drug administration being separated by at least 1 week. BUS subjective effects were less severe than those of DZP and not accompanied by feelings of sleepiness that characterized DZP sedative effects. Furthermore, BUS did not impair psychomotor functioning while DZP induced both an impairment of central sensory processing and, to a lesser extent, an impairment in delayed memory.