THE FINNISH CLINICAL TEST FOR DRUNKENESS IN EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON DRIVING FITNESS

The effects of alcohol, benzodiazepines, zopicione, sedative antidepressant drugs, carbamazepine, and ebastine were studied in four double-blind, crossover and placebo-controlled studies with a total of 60 healthy volunteers. The relationships between blood alcohol concentrations and blood benzodiazepine concentrations, and psychomotor performance on the clinical test for drunkenness were studied in two field studies using medicolegal data files on a total of 387,770 Finnish drivers. Psychomotor laboratory tests were sensitive in revealing the effects of drugs and drug-drug combinations. Alcohol clearly impaired performance on the clinical test for drunkenness in both crossover and field studies. Single drugs alone had only minor effects on the clinical test for drunkenness, but this test detected effects of drug-drug and drug-alcohol combinations. Blood benzodiazepine concentrations were associated with impaired performance on the clinical test for drunkenness. It is concluded that the clinical test for drunkenness reveals the effects of alcohol, drug-drug, and drug-alcohol combinations better than those of single drugs alone which, in turn, are easily detected with psychomotor laboratory tests. (a) For the record of the covering entry of this conference, please see IRRD abstract no 868581.

• Record URL:
  http://www.icadtsinternational.com/documents/?category=13th_T1995_Adelaide
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0908204213
• Corporate Authors:

  NH&MRC ROAD ACCIDENT RESEARCH UNIT

  UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
  ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA  Australia  5005
• Authors:
  • KUITUNEN, T
  • SEPPALA, T
  • MATTILA, M J
  • PIKKARAINEN, J
• Conference:
  • ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY - T'95, 13 AUGUST - 18 AUGUST 1995; PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY, ADELAIDE
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 470-4
• Serial:
  • Volume: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Detection and identification; Detectors; Drugs; Intoxication; Tests
• Geographic Terms: Finland
• ITRD Terms: 8525: Conference; 9115: Detection; 2242: Drugs; 2231: Drunkenness; 8035: Finland; 6255: Test
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00731295
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 0-908204-21-3
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Feb 27 1997 12:00AM