Evaluating Drugged Driving: Effects of Pain and Anxiety Medications
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2017-05-05
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TRIS Online Accession Number:01644709
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Abstract:To extend the National Advanced Driving Simulator’s research program into distracted driving and drug-influenced driving, our group studied the effects of a frequently prescribed combination of sedating drugs: hydrocodone/acetaminophen (an opioid pain-relieving medication) and alprazolam (a benzodiazepine useful for muscle relaxation and sedation). We administered the drugs in a ‘within-subjects design’ utilizing a double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled cross-over protocol. The four arms of the study included: placebo, alprazolam alone, hydrocodone/acetaminophen alone, and a combination of alprazolam and hydrocodone/acetaminophen. The eight subjects then completed a well-standardized NADS driving protocol on the MiniSim. Experimental parameters included measures of lateral and longitudinal control. The data were reduced and then statistically analyzed using SAS statistical software. The statistical analysis revealed that alprazolam significantly affected measures of both longitudinal and lateral driving control – such as the standard deviation of lane position (SDLP). Detrimental effects appeared more in rural scenarios and at higher speeds.
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