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 doses 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 chromatography. 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 rather 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.

• 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

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 363-369
• Serial:
  • Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica
  • Publisher: Munksgaard

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Alcoholic beverages; Drivers; Drugs; Human subject testing; Impaired drivers; Motor skills
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver age; Psychomotor performance
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver impairment
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00453168
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 334
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1986 12:00AM