title: Effect of active metabolites of chlordiazepoxide and diazepam, alone or in combination with alcohol, on psychomotor skills related to driving.
abstract: Interaction of the main metabolites of diazepam and chlordiazepoxide with alcohol was measured in two subacute double-blind cross-over experiments on 40 healthy, young volunteers. The drugs were administered for two week periods. The variables measured were choice reaction time and accuracy, eye-hand co-ordination, divided attention, flicker fusion, proprioception and nystagmus. Chlordiazepoxide lactam, methyloxazepam and oxazepam significantly enhanced the alcohol-induced impairment of psychomotor skills, whereas N-desmethyl-diazepam did so only exceptionally in certain subjects in the choice reaction test. It is concluded that diazepam-alcohol interaction on psychomotor skills is mainly due to the parent compound. No correlation between the serum level of the agents and the changes in performance were found.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D000431:Ethanol; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide; D003975:Diazepam