In double-blind trials with hundreds of patients, buspirone has proven to be as effective an anxiolytic as the benzodiazepines. It causes less sedation and motor impairment than diazepam, and may be particularly useful in geriatric patients. We conducted a 4 week double-blind, randomized trial of buspirone versus diazepam and placebo in thirty adult outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder. Maximum doses were 40 mg of diazepam or buspirone or eight placebo tablets a day. There were no significant differences in outcome between the three groups on any physician or subject measures. Some implications of this finding are discussed.