On-the-road driving performance after use of the antihistamines mequitazine and l-mequitazine, alone and with alcohol
Open Access
- 4 August 2016
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Psychopharmacology
- Vol. 233 (18), 3461-3469
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4386-7
Abstract
Objective Previous studies demonstrated that mequitazine produces mild sedation after single doses. Its enantiomer, l-mequitazine, has a stronger potency for the H1 receptor. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of l-mequitazine and mequitazine, alone and with alcohol, on driving. Methods Twenty-five healthy volunteers were treated with l-mequitazine 2.5, 5.0 and 10 mg, mequitazine 10 mg and placebo, alone and in combination with alcohol in a double-blind crossover design. Driving performance was assessed using the standardized highway driving test in normal traffic. Its primary measure is the Standard Deviation of the Lateral Position (SDLP). Secondary measures consisted of an auditory word learning test during driving, and subjective measures of driving performance. Results L-mequitazine 2.5 and 5.0 mg showed no effect on SDLP in the highway driving test, while SDLP significantly increased after l-mequitazine 10 mg (alone +1.59 cm; with alcohol +1.41 cm) and mequitazine 10 mg (with alcohol +1.17 cm). Alcohol significantly impaired all performance measures (SDLP +2.63 cm) but did not interact with the effects of treatment. Subjective measures indicated that participants were aware of the impairing effects of alcohol, but not of l-mequitazine and mequitazine. Conclusion L-mequitazine can be considered safe to drive in dosages of 2.5 and 5.0 mg. L-mequitazine 10 mg led to mild driving impairment. Alcohol impaired all performance measures and added to the effects of l-mequitazine and mequitazine.Keywords
Funding Information
- Pierre Fabre Médicament
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sleep Neurobiology from a Clinical PerspectiveSleep, 2011
- Standard operation procedures for conducting the on-the-road driving test, and measurement of the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP)International Journal of General Medicine, 2011
- The diagnosis and management of rhinitis: An updated practice parameterJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2008
- Evaluation of the cognitive, psychomotor and pharmacokinetic profiles of rupatadine, hydroxyzine and cetirizine, in combination with alcohol, in healthy volunteersHuman Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 2006
- Repeated-dose effects of mequitazine, cetirizine and dexchlorpheniramine on driving and psychomotor performanceBritish Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2006
- Measurement of Anticholinergic Effects of Psychotropic Drugs in HumansPharmacopsychiatry, 2005
- Fexofenadine's effects, alone and with alcohol, on actual driving and psychomotor performanceJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1998
- Sedative effects of antihistamines: safety, performance, learning, and quality of lifeClinical Therapeutics, 1997
- The clinical safety of H1‐receptor antagonists: An EAACI position paper*Allergy, 1996
- Psychomotor Effects of Astemizole and Chlorpheniramine, Alone and in Combination with AlcoholInternational Clinical Psychopharmacology, 1987