Abstract
Benzodiazepines are useful and commonly prescribed. Unfortunately, they are associated with subtle but functionally significant neurocognitive side effects that increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents and falls. The objective of this study was to determine whether clinically feasible measures of simple reaction time and reaction accuracy are sensitive to a single dose of lorazepam. Using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, 26 healthy adults (13 women; age = 26.9 ± 8.2 yr) were given 1.0 mg lorazepam or placebo 90 minutes prior to two data collection sessions. Participants completed simple and reaction accuracy tasks using a standardized "ruler drop" testing paradigm during each session. Outcomes were mean and variability of simple reaction time and reaction accuracy, which evaluates a participant's ability to catch the device solely on the random 50% of trials that lights affixed to it illuminate on release. Reaction accuracy requires a go/no-go decision within 420 ms before the falling device strikes the floor. As compared with placebo, lorazepam increased simple reaction time variability (range = 43 ± 18 vs. 60 ± 23 ms, respectively; p = 0.004 and standard deviation = 14.6 ± 5.7 vs. 19.7 ± 7.3 ms, respectively;...Continue Reading
References
Jan 1, 1992·European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·A Irving, W Jones
May 20, 1998·Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior·E FluckJ Orgill
Jun 1, 1994·Behavioural Pharmacology·C.R. RushJ.R. Hughes
Dec 23, 2003·Psychopharmacology·J B DeakinB J Sahakian
Jun 3, 2008·Journal of Biomechanics·J Lo, J A Ashton-Miller
Aug 7, 2010·Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise·James T EcknerJames A Ashton-Miller
Aug 20, 2011·PM & R : the Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation·James T EcknerJames K Richardson
Aug 24, 2011·Psychological Assessment·James T EcknerJames A Ashton-Miller
Oct 30, 2012·Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B·David W LoringKimford J Meador
Jan 15, 2013·British Journal of Sports Medicine·James T EcknerJames K Richardson
Sep 10, 2014·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Nunzio PomaraJohn J Sidtis
Jul 28, 2016·Behavioural Neurology·Zahid Sadek ChowdhuryMuhammad Shahdaat Bin Sayeed
Aug 24, 2016·American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation·James K RichardsonJames A Ashton-Miller
May 26, 2017·Maturitas·Mª José Díaz-GutiérrezAna González-Pinto
Oct 12, 2018·Aging Clinical and Experimental Research·Kimberley S van SchootenKim Delbaere
Dec 18, 2018·Psychiatric Services : a Journal of the American Psychiatric Association·Donovan T MaustFrederic C Blow
Jan 27, 2019·JAMA Network Open·Sumit D Agarwal, Bruce E Landon
Mar 27, 2019·Journal of Psychopharmacology·Coen Rh HuizingaAdam F Cohen