Effects of Methyldopa on Psychometric Performance

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Abstract
Double‐blind, crossover comparisons of methyldopa with placebo were performed in 16 patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Methyldopa (250 mg tid) for 14 days significantly reduced blood pressure, impaired card‐sorting time and digital symbol substitution score, and caused trends for impairment of other psychometric tests. Effects of practice were greater than those of treatment on all tests other than card sorting, although no interaction between treatment and practice was seen. Continued dosage impairs psychometric performance, but practice effect is a major confounder. Simple crossover studies are inadequate for detecting moderate drug effects on intellectual performance.