title: On-the-road driving performance after use of the antihistamines mequitazine and l-mequitazine, alone and with alcohol.
abstract: Previous studies demonstrated that mequitazine produces mild sedation after single doses. Its enantiomer, l-mequitazine, has a stronger potency for the H1 receptor. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of l-mequitazine and mequitazine, alone and with alcohol, on driving.
  
  
  
  Twenty-five healthy volunteers were treated with l-mequitazine 2.5, 5.0 and 10 mg, mequitazine 10 mg and placebo, alone and in combination with alcohol in a double-blind crossover design. Driving performance was assessed using the standardized highway driving test in normal traffic. Its primary measure is the Standard Deviation of the Lateral Position (SDLP). Secondary measures consisted of an auditory word learning test during driving, and subjective measures of driving performance.
  
  
  
  L-mequitazine 2.5 and 5.0 mg showed no effect on SDLP in the highway driving test, while SDLP significantly increased after l-mequitazine 10 mg (alone +1.59 cm; with alcohol +1.41 cm) and mequitazine 10 mg (with alcohol +1.17 cm). Alcohol significantly impaired all performance measures (SDLP +2.63 cm) but did not interact with the effects of treatment. Subjective measures indicated that participants were aware of the impairing effects of alcohol, but not of l-mequitazine and mequitazine.
  
  
  
  L-mequitazine can be considered safe to drive in dosages of 2.5 and 5.0 mg. L-mequitazine 10 mg led to mild driving impairment. Alcohol impaired all performance measures and added to the effects of l-mequitazine and mequitazine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands. n.vandersluiszen@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: N N J J M
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: van der Sluiszen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vermeeren
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jongen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Theunissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C M
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van Oers
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Van Leeuwen
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Pierre Fabre, Ramonville, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maret
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Pierre Fabre, Ramonville, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desforges
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Pierre Fabre, Ramonville, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delarue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000066448:Driving Under the Influence; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D010640:Phenothiazines; D000431:Ethanol; C006069:mequitazine
keywords: Alcohol; Antihistamine; Highway driving test; L-mequitazine; Mequitazine