title: MDMA and alcohol effects, combined and alone, on objective and subjective measures of actual driving performance and psychomotor function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The party drug ecstasy is frequently used in combination with other drugs like marihuana and alcohol. In addition, a substantial proportion of the MDMA users has claimed to drive a car when under the influence of MDMA and/or other drugs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of MDMA and alcohol, combined and alone, on actual driving performance and laboratory tasks related to driving.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen healthy subjects participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, six-way cross-over study. Treatments consisted of MDMA 0, 75, and 100 mg with and without alcohol, aiming at 0.06 mg/ml BAC. Laboratory tests (critical tracking task, object movement estimation task) were conducted between 1.5 and 2 h postdrug (0.5 and 1 h postalcohol). Actual driving tests (road tracking test, car-following test) were conducted between 3 and 5 h postdrug (2 and 4 h postalcohol). Subjects completed the addiction research center inventory (ARCI) and rated their driving quality and mental effort during driving.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol alone impaired critical tracking performance, as well as a number of actual driving performance parameters [i.e., standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), brake reaction time, and coherence]. MDMA alone reduced SDLP and standard deviation of speed. MDMA significantly moderated alcohol induced impairment of road tracking performance but did not affect alcohol impairments of car-following and laboratory task performance. Subjective data seemed to support objective data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDMA moderated the impairing effects of a low dose of alcohol on road tracking performance but it could not overcome alcohol-induced impairment on other aspects of driving behavior or driving related performance.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Psychopharmacology Unit, Department of Neurocognition, Faculty of Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. k.kuypers@psychology.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: K P C
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kuypers
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Samyn
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006213:Hallucinogens; D000431:Ethanol; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine