Abstract | PURPOSE: METHODS: Subjects were 12 men, mean age 36 + 3.1, who participated in 1 training day and 3 treatment conditions: a 25-mg injection of promethazine, a 50-mg injection of promethazine, and a placebo injection of sterile saline. Each condition, scheduled at 7-d intervals, required an 8-10-h day in which subjects were tested on 12 performance tasks, and were given a rotating chair motion sickness test. On the training day subjects were trained on each task to establish stability and proficiency. Treatment conditions were counterbalanced and a double-blind procedure was used to administer the medication or placebo. RESULTS: Statistically significant decrements in performance were observed for both dosages of promethazine as compared with the placebo. Performance decrements were associated with mean blood alcohol dose equivalency levels of 0.085% for 25 mg and 0.137% for 50 mg doses. Mood scale results showed significant changes in individual subjective experiences with maximum deterioration in the arousal state and fatigue level. Only the 25-mg dosage significantly increased motion sickness tolerance when compared with the placebo. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that effective doses of promethazine currently used to counteract motion sickness in astronauts may significantly impair task components of their operational performance.
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Authors | P S Cowings, W B Toscano, C DeRoshia, N E Miller |
Journal | Aviation, space, and environmental medicine
(Aviat Space Environ Med)
Vol. 71
Issue 10
Pg. 1013-22
(Oct 2000)
ISSN: 0095-6562 [Print] United States |
PMID | 11051308
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
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Chemical References |
- Histamine H1 Antagonists
- Promethazine
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Topics |
- Adult
- Affect
(drug effects)
- Analysis of Variance
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Double-Blind Method
- Histamine H1 Antagonists
(pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
- Humans
- Linear Models
- Male
- Motion Sickness
(prevention & control)
- Promethazine
(pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
- Psychomotor Performance
- Reaction Time
- Rotation
- Severity of Illness Index
- Sleep
(drug effects)
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