title: Evaluation of the abuse potential of pagoclone, a partial GABAA agonist.
abstract: This study assessed the abuse potential of pagoclone, a partial agonist at the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) benzodiazepine receptor site, in healthy recreational drug users. Twenty-three young adults, who reported past recreational use of sedative drugs or alcohol, participated in 4 sessions during which capsules containing pagoclone (doses: 1.2 mg, the higher end of the proposed therapeutic dose range, and 4.8 mg, a 4-fold higher dose), diazepam (dose, 30 mg), or placebo were randomly administered under double-blind conditions. Subjective ratings of mood, drug effects, and psychomotor tests were completed at regular intervals after ingesting the capsules. On most of the standardized measures of abuse potential, pagoclone (dose, 4.8 mg) was rated as being similar to diazepam. Both drugs increased the ratings of good effects and drug liking. However, pagoclone also produced some adverse mood effects that might limit its potential to be used recreationally, and it produced fewer sedativelike effects on some measures. In general, the results with these doses indicate that the abuse potential of pagoclone is similar to that of diazepam, although its profile as a partial agonist suggests that differences between the drugs may emerge at higher doses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. hdew@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vicini
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Haig
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feltner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005059:Euphoria / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D054833:Isoindoles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009287:Naphthyridines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D054833:Isoindoles; D009287:Naphthyridines; C447412:pagoclone; D003975:Diazepam