The Effects of Dextromethorphan on Driving Performance and the Standardized Field Sobriety Test.
Paul J Perry, Kristian Fredriksen, Stephanie Chew, Eric J Ip, Ingrid Lopes, Shadi Doroudgar, Kelan Thomas
Journal of forensic sciences September 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12833 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA single 120 mg dose of dextromethorphan, the maximum recommended daily dose, does not impair driving performance or increase failures on a standardized field sobriety test compared to a 400 mg dose of guaifenesin. Forty healthy adults completed a crossover trial using a driving simulator and field sobriety tests one hour after taking the drug. Doses higher than 120 mg are needed to affect driving behavior. Dextromethorphan is commonly abused by adolescents for its dissociative effects, but at the maximum therapeutic dose it does not appear to compromise driving ability.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Crossover design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Healthy subjects |
| Interventions | Dextromethorphan Guaifenesin |
| Dose | 120 mg dextromethorphan, 400 mg guaifenesin |
| Keywords | Antitussive Cough suppressant Dextromethorphan Driving performance Driving simulator |
| Key finding | A single 120 mg dose of dextromethorphan did not impair driving performance on a simulator or increase standardized field sobriety test failures compared to guaifenesin 400 mg. |
Abstract
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is abused most commonly among adolescents as a recreational drug to generate a dissociative experience. The objective of the study was to assess driving with and without DXM ingestion. The effects of one-time maximum daily doses of DXM 120 mg versus a guaifenesin 400 mg dose were compared among 40 healthy subjects using a crossover design. Subjects' ability to drive was assessed by their performance in a driving simulator (STISIM® Drive driving simulator software) and by conducting a standardized field sobriety test (SFST) administered 1-h postdrug administration. The one-time dose of DXM 120 mg did not demonstrate driving impairment on the STISIM® Drive driving simulator or increase SFST failures compared to guaifenesin 400 mg. Doses greater than the currently recommended maximum daily dose of 120 mg are necessary to perturb driving behavior.