PSYCHOMOTOR-SKILLS DURING SUBACUTE TREATMENT WITH THIORIDAZINE AND BROMAZEPAM, AND THEIR COMBINED EFFECTS WITH ALCOHOL

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 8  (2) , 117-123
Abstract
Paid healthy students (20) volunteered for a doubleblind cross-over trial on the effects of 2 wks'' treatment with placebo, thioridazine and bromazepam on psychomotor skills characteristic of driving. The doses used were thioridazine 10 mg t.i.d. [3 times daily] during the 1st wk and 20 mg t.i.d. during the 2nd wk, or 6 mg of bromazepam t.i.d. during 2 wk. Choice reaction test, 2 co-ordination tests, a divided attention test, flicker fusion and proprioception tests were used. The psychomotor skills were measured in the afternoon of the 7th and 14th day of each treatment, 30, 90 and 150 min after the 2nd daily administration of the drug in combination with either an alcoholic or a placebo drink. There were no significant differences between the test weeks. Thioridazine alone resembled placebo and had no major combined effect with alcohol. Bromazepam impaired reactive and co-ordinative skills and attention deteriorated. The combination of bromazepam and alcohol potentiated the deterious effects of the single agents, and this effect was most remarkable at 30 min. The subjects also gave exaggerated responses in the proprioceptive tests. No significant alterations were recorded in the flicker fusion frequency after any treatment. The most subjective side-effects were recorded during bromazepam treatment, and 2 of the 20 subjects interrupted the trial due to these side-effects. The doses of thioridazine and bromazepam may not have been equipotent. The dose of bromazepam was relatively high compared to doses of other drugs used.

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