Comparison of the effect of flurazepam, brotizolam and alcohol on psychomotor performance.

The effect of equal doses of brotizolam (2-bromo-4-(2-chlorophenyl)-9-methyl-6H-thieno [3,2-f]-1,2,4-triazolo [4,3-a]-1,4-diazepine, We 941, Lendormin) (0.25 mg) and flurazepam (30 mg) was studied in double-blind technique in a continuous performance test. Experiments were done 7 h after the last of a three-day ingestion. The task was composed of a compensatory tracking one and additional visual ones in the central visual field (visuo-motor processing time) and in the peripheral visual field (visuo-motor reaction time). The effects were compared with that of different concentrations of alcohol. The starting point of all parameters was similar in spite of the drug used. The drug influenced the values during the running of the single experiment. Visuo-motor coordination in a compensatory tracking task, visuo-mental processing time, visuo-motor reaction time and reading errors were not impaired with brotizolam. In contrast there were observed residual effects with 30 mg flurazepam. As well visuo-motor coordination (p1 less than 0.01, p2 less than 0.01), visuo-mental processing time (p1 less than 0.025), p2 less than 0.05), visuo-motor reaction time (p1 less than 0.05, p2 less than 0.01) and reading errors (p1 less than 0.10, p2 less than 0.05) were impaired compared to placebo (p1) and 0.25 mg brotizolam (p2). Moreover, events in the peripheral visual field were not detected. Subjective assessments of performance correlated with measured performance only for flurazepam was performance in comparison with placebo assessed as significantly worse both for visuo-motor coordination (p less than 0.01) as well as visuo-mental processing time (p less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)