ACTIONS AND INTERACTIONS OF DIAZEPAM AND ALCOHOL ON PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED SUBJECTS

Healthy pretrained men participated in three separate controlled double-blind and cross-over trials. There were 10 students in trial I, 11 army officials or policemen aged 38-59 years in trial II, and 11 students in trial III. After single oral dose of diazepam 10 mg (D), placebo, alcohol 0,5 g/kg (a) or (D) + a, given at one-week intervals in balanced order, the psychomotor skills (choice reaction, tracking, attention, flicker fusion) were repetitively measured up to 2,5 hrs. Serum D concentrations were measured by gas chromotography. D alone impaired flicker fusion in trials I and II, and also reactive and coordinative skills in trial III. A alone slightly impaired skills and failed to potentiate D effects. Increasing age rendered the performance worse but this was due to increased base-line errors than to enhanced responses to D. Serum D concentrations tended to rise in the presence of A suggesting an inhibition of D demethylation by alcohol. Both total and free concentrations of D were similar in both age groups. The results suggest that in spite of unaltered sensitivity to D, middle-aged subjects have a lowered margin of safety when driving or using machinery under D treatment. (Author/TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Munksgaard

  Noerre Soegade 35
  DK-1370 Copenhagen K,   Denmark 
• Authors:
  • Palva, E S
  • LINNOILA, M
  • Routledge, P
  • SEPPALA, T
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 363-369
• Serial:
  • Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica
  • Volume: 50
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Munksgaard

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Adults; Age; Alcohols; Alertness; Aptitude; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving; Drugs; Ethanol; Motor reactions; Motor skills; Personnel performance; Reaction time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver age; Driver reaction; Interaction; Psychomotor performance
• ITRD Terms: 1748: Adolescent; 1747: Adult; 1757: Age; 7347: Alcohol; 2238: Attention; 2226: Driving aptitude; 2242: Drugs; 2247: Reaction (human)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00385990
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM