[Subjective evaluation of the effect of single test doses of phenazepam and placebo in patients with anxiety disorders: a relationship with objective pharmaco-electroencephalography characteristics].

AIM: To study the relationship between subjective evaluation (SE) of the effect of single test doses of benzodiazepine anxiolytic phenazepam and placebo and objective electroencephalography (EEG) characteristics in patients with anxiety disorders.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty patients, including 13 with generalized anxiety disorders (GAD, ICD-10 F41.1), 13 with anxiety-phobic disorders (AFD, ICD-10 F40.0) and 14 with anxiety-hypochondriac disorders (AHD, ICD-10 F45.2), were enrolled. The method of subjective evaluation of the effect of psychotropic drugs and EEG recording during wakeful rest and 2 hours after taking test doses of phenazepam (1 mg) and placebo were performed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A trend towards the higher SE indices (tolerability and a wish to continue treatment with the drug) of the test dose of phenazepam in patients with GAD, its decrease in AFD and AHD, no differences in SE indices of placebo between different psychopathological patterns of disorders were identified. The changes in EEG specific for benzodiazepines were revealed in patients treated with phenazepam. Insignificant changes in the beta rhythm after taking placebo were found. Correlations between subjective assessments of the effect of test doses of phenazepam and placebo and EEG were observed. The results suggest that subjective assessments of the effect of anxiolytic drugs and objective indices of anxiolytic drug action are interrelated.