 alpha2-agonists like clonidine offer several useful effects that make these drugs an interesting alternative to benzodiazepines for pharmacological premedication. We therefore sought to determine the effect of pre-anesthetic medication with clonidine vs. midazolam in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study. Effects of pre-anesthetic medication were assessed on 1 bispectral index BIS,2 sedation score and visual analog scales for anxiety and pain, 3 neuropsychologic tests to assess cognitive function and 4 circulating stress hormones. 