title: Acute performance-impairing and subject-rated effects of triazolam and temazepam, alone and in combination with ethanol, in humans.
abstract: The acute behavioural effects of triazolam (0.125 and 0.25 mg), temazepam (15 and 30 mg), and placebo, alone and in combination with ethanol (0 and 0.5 g/kg), were assessed in 10 volunteers. Ethanol alone did not impair performance and produced only a few subject-rated drug effects. Triazolam and temazepam alone produced some performance impairment and a few subject-rated drug effects. These effects tended to be dose-dependent and were comparable for the two drugs across the range of doses tested. The triazolam-ethanol and temazepam-ethanol combinations produced robust performance impairment and sedative-like subject-rated drug effects that were similar in magnitude. The findings of the present study suggest that even a moderate amount of ethanol in combination with a clinical dose of triazolam or temazepam can cause performance impairment that might diminish an individual's ability to respond adequately to unexpected demands (e.g. smoke alarms or middle-of-the-night child care).
authors.affiliation: Department ofPsychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA.
authors.forename: Cathy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Craig R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rush
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D013693:Temazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014229:Triazolam / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014229:Triazolam; D000431:Ethanol; D013693:Temazepam