CATECHOLAMINERGIC, NEUROENDOCRINE AND ANXIETY RESPONSES TO ACUTE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS - INFLUENCE OF ALPRAZOLAM ADMINISTRATION

We studied the effect of alprazolam (APZ) in 12 healthy volunteers on the psychological stress-induced activation of emotion and on the pitu itary-adrenal, adrenomedullary and sympathoneuronal systems. After 3 d ays of placebo or APZ (1 mg/day orally) administration, we examined pl asma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, L-3,4 dihydroxyp henylalanine, dopamine, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine, metanephrine , normetanephrine, homovanillic acid, vanillylmandelic acid, 3-methoxy -4-hydroxy phenylglycol, urinary levels of cortisol and catecholamines , circulatory responses and state anxiety levels in subjects undergoin g psychological stress based on viewing horror, violence, danger and w ar film clips. Film viewing produced modest rises of state anxiety lev els, of plasma NE concentration and of diastolic blood pressure in bot h the placebo and drug groups. APZ significantly reduced anxiety level s at the beginning of the experimental session and caused a decrease o f noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter and cortisol concent rations. Our data suggest that APZ reduced anxiety related to the expe ctation of the event, while the circuitry between structures responsib le for anxiety and peripheral sympathoneural function was still found to be partly sensitive to film viewing.