Anti-depressants may affect driving

BOSTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Depressed people on antidepressants appear to have trouble concentrating and reacting behind the wheel, University of North Dakota psychologists said.

Psychologists Holly Dannewitz and Tom Petros recruited 60 people to participate in a driving simulation in which participants had to make a series of common driving decisions -- such as reacting to brake lights, stop signs or traffic signals while being distracted by speed limit signs, pylons, animals, other cars, helicopters or bicyclists.

The simulation tested steering, concentration and scanning. Thirty-one of the participants were taking at least one type of antidepressant while 29 control group members were taking no medications.

The group taking antidepressants was further divided into those who scored higher and lower on a test of depression. The group taking antidepressants who reported a high number of symptoms of depression performed significantly worse than the control group, but participants taking antidepressants who scored in the normal range for depression performed no differently than the non-medicated subjects.

"Individuals taking antidepressants should be aware of the possible cognitive effects as (they) may affect performance in social, academic and work settings, as well as driving abilities," the researchers said in a statement.

The study was presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Boston.