Effect of Subacute Treatment with Hypnotics, Alone or in Combination with Alcohol, on Psychomotor Skills Related to Driving

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Abstract
The effect of two weeks' treatment with amylobarbitone, flurazepam, a combination of methaqualone and diphenhydramine, or glutethimide, and their interaction with alcohol, was examined in 40 healthy volunteers in two double blind cross‐over trials. The drugs and placebo were given orally every night between 10 and 11 p.m. for two weeks, the treatment periods alternating in random order. Psychomotor skills were tested on the 7th and 14th treatment mornings by a choice reaction test, two co‐ordination tests and a divided attention task 30, 90 and 150 minutes after the previous administration of alcohol or placebo. After both trials were over the subjects of the latter trial were tested once more after one night's deprivation of sleep. Amylobarbitone and flurazepam alone impaired eye‐hand co‐ordination whereas the residual effect after methaqualone and diphenhydramine or glutethimide on psychomotor performance was negligible. Amylobarbitone and flurazepam also enhanced the alcohol induced impairment of co‐ordinative skills. Deprivation of sleep did not impair psychomotor performance. The subjects regarded flurazepam and the combination of methaqualone and diphenhydramine as more potent hypnotics than glutethimide or amylobarbitone. Flurazepam and the combination caused most of the side‐effects reported by the subjects.