Effect of benzodiazepines on plasma levels of homovanillic acid in anxious patients and control subjects.
The effects of four logarithmically increasing doses of intravenous diazepam or placebo on plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) were determined in benzodiazepine-naive patients with panic disorder (PD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and in healthy controls. Plasma HVA was measured at baseline and 3 min after the first and fourth doses of diazepam/placebo. Mean baseline plasma HVA levels were significantly lower in PD patients compared with GAD patients and controls. Although plasma HVA levels decreased significantly with time in all groups, there was no diazepam effect. This study suggests that low dopaminergic activity may occur in a subset of anxious patients (PD), and that diazepam does not significantly affect dopaminergic activity as measured by plasma HVA in humans.
Wingerson
D K
DK
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle 98104-2499, USA.
Cowley
D S
DS
Kramer
G L
GL
Petty
F
F
Roy-Byrne
P P
PP
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003975:Diazepam / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000097:blood; D010919:Placebos
D010919:Placebos; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003975:Diazepam; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid