@article{ref1,
title="Psychomotor Performance After Intake of Zopiclone Compared With Intake of Ethanol: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blinded Trial",
journal="Journal of clinical psychopharmacology",
year="2011",
author="Gustavsen, Ingebjørg and Hjelmeland, Knut and Bernard, Jean Paul and Morland, Jorg",
volume="31",
number="4",
pages="481-488",
abstract="The sleep medicine zopiclone (eszopiclone) is commonly used in most Western countries. The focus on legislation for possible traffic-impairing nonalcohol drugs have caused a need for comparing traffic relevant behavior after intake of commonly used psychoactive drugs to blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). We aimed to compare psychomotor effects at 3 levels of behavior at different blood zopiclone concentrations to effects seen at different BACs.We performed a randomized double-blinded trial on 16 healthy volunteers who received either 10 or 5 mg zopiclone, 50 g ethanol or placebo in a crossover design. The volunteers performed computerized tests at baseline, 1, 3.5, and 6.5 hours after intake, accompanied by blood sampling.Impairment was found at all 3 behavior levels. For zopiclone, impairment was most pronounced at behavior level 1 (automotive behavior); a mean blood zopiclone concentration at 39 μg/L achieved 1 hour after intake of 10 mg zopiclone was accompanied by more impairment than BAC 0.074 %. At behavior levels 2 (control behavior) and 3 (executive planning), the psychomotor impairment accompanying approximately 39 μg/L zopiclone seemed comparable to a BAC of approximately 0.074%. No test components were impaired at 6.5 hours after intake.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0271-0749",
doi="10.1097/JCP.0b013e3182214be6",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JCP.0b013e3182214be6"
}