PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO PROPRANOLOL AND DIAZEPAM IN CHRONIC ANXIETY

Abstract

Twelve chronically anxious psychiatric out‐patients, comprising six with somatic anxiety and six with psychic anxiety, were treated with (±)‐propranolol, diazepam and placebo for one week each in flexible dosage using a balanced cross‐over experimental design. After each treatment, in addition to ratings completed by patient and psychiatrist, finger tremor, EEG, averaged auditory evoked response, skin conductance, heart and respiratory rate were measured. Diazepam significantly increased the amount of fast activity (13.5–26 Hz) in the EEG but produced few peripheral effects apart from a reduction in finger tremor. Propranolol had no central physiological effects but reduced both pulse rate and finger tremor. The physiological effects of propranolol in chronic anxiety are different from those of diazepam and therapeutic benefit appears to be due to a direct effect on certain somatic symptoms. 1974 The British Pharmacological Society