Antidepressant Use Tied to Poorer Driving

But experts aren't sure if the pills, or underlying depression, are to blame

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

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SUNDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Taking prescription antidepressants while still highly depressed could impair driving ability, a new study suggests.

"We already know that depression causes concentration problems," said study author Holly J. Dannewitz. "And now it appears that people taking antidepressants who also have relatively higher depression scores fare significantly worse when attempting to perform a computerized simulation of driving."

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Dannewitz conducted her research while a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, where she is currently a psychology resident in a private practice.

She and her colleagues were scheduled to present their findings Sunday the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in Boston.

To gauge the possible impact antidepressants might have on driving performance, the research team asked 60 people to "drive" a computerized version of a car in a program that mimicked real-world conditions.

Approximately half of the participants were taking at least one type of antidepressant, while the other half was taking no medication (other than oral contraceptives in certain instances). Those on antidepressants were screened for current levels of depression and were subsequently categorized as experiencing either low or high depression at the time of the driving test.

Participants had to perform common driving tasks such as braking, steering, and scanning sightlines in response to an unfolding video of car traffic, stop signs, speed limit signs, traffic lights, deer crossings, bicyclists, and even the appearance of helicopters.

People taking antidepressants who were highly depressed registered markedly worse scores on some driving skills than those not taking antidepressants, the team found. This appeared tied to poorer concentration and a weakened ability to react well to situations that divided their attention and relied on memory skills.

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