Journal article
The acute effects of kava and oxazepam on anxiety, mood, neurocognition; And genetic correlates: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study
J Sarris, A Scholey, I Schweitzer, C Bousman, E LaPorte, C Ng, G Murray, C Stough
Human Psychopharmacology | Published : 2012
DOI: 10.1002/hup.2216
Abstract
Rationale Kava (Piper methysticum) is a psychotropic plant medicine with history of cultural and medicinal use. We conducted a study comparing the acute neurocognitive, anxiolytic, and thymoleptic effects of a medicinal dose of kava to a benzodiazepine and explored for the first time specific genetic polymorphisms, which may affect the psychotropic activity of phytomedicines or benzodiazepines. Methods Twenty-two moderately anxious adults aged between 18 and 65years were randomized to receive an acute dose of kava (180mg of kavalactones), oxazepam (30mg), and placebo 1week apart in a crossover design trial. Results After exposure to cognitive tasks, a significant interaction was revealed bet..
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Grants
Awarded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
Sincere thanks are extended to Karen Savage for her assistance with data analysis. Dr Jerome Sarris is funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council fellowship (funding ID 628875), in a strategic partnership with the University of Melbourne, the National Institute of Complementary Medicine Collaborative Research Centre in Neurocognition, and the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University of Technology. The study was funded by Integria Healthcare.