Pharmacology - Kava-Kava and the Treatment of Test-Anxiety

[imyourlittlebare]

Hey guys. I am looking for people to give me feedback on this paper. It would be a nice addition to this website. I am going to put the paper up as a pdf file and let me give a little pre-warning. Its still being drafted. I have not completely cited everything and do not have a works cited page. So this being said, take a look, let me know what you think, any mistakes, any changes etc. Hope its interesting! The file is attached. Heres the abstract for those who want to browse quickly or if someone cant open it.

Abstract

The objective of this single-blind, placebo controlled experiment was to assess the acute effects of kava-kava on test-anxiety within an undergraduate college aged population. Test-anxiety is a psychological condition characterized by thought-interference (TI) and feelings of anxiety (FA) that can contribute to a counteractive latent effect on test-performance. Currently there is no strong evidence to support any pharmacological treatments for test-anxiety since most anxiolytic medications carry a risk of physical dependence, memory loss, as well as other side-effects. Kava-kava is an herbal supplement that possesses well-documented anxiolytic and nootropic effects. Kava-Kava’s active ingredients, kavalactones, act on several neurotransmitter systems including gamma-aminobutryic acid (GABA), dopamine, and norepinephrine. Thirty-seven participants were randomly assigned to receive a placebo, 75 mg, or 150 mg of kavalactones. Participants completed the Westside Test-Anxiety Scale (WSTAS) and Manual Test-Anxiety Profile (TAP) to assess theoretical levels of test-anxiety. A 10 item mathematics test was the manipulation used to induce test-anxiety. Participants then assessed TI and FA in relation to the mathematics test. The WSTAS and initial TAP scores showed no significant differences among participants in the drug-treatment or control groups in levels of test-anxiety. Participants that received 150 mg of kavalactones had significant reductions in FI and TI from the beginning to the end of the study and significantly less anxiety than the placebo and 75 mg kavalactone groups. The placebo and 75 mg kavalactone groups showed no significant changes in FA and TI. Conclusions: An acute dose of 150 mg of kavalactones significantly reduces test-anxiety in an undergraduate student population