The Effects of Dextromethorphan on Driving Performance and the Standardized Field Sobriety Test.

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The Effects of Dextromethorphan on Driving Performance and the Standardized Field Sobriety Test.

J Forensic Sci. 2015 Aug 21;

Authors: Perry PJ, Fredriksen K, Chew S, Ip EJ, Lopes I, Doroudgar S, Thomas K

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.

PMID: 26294136 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]