Naloxone has no effect on ethanol-induced impairment of psychomotor performance in man

Abstract

In a study designed to investigate the effect of naloxone on ethanol-induced performance deficits in man, ethanol (0.75 g/kg) and naloxone (0.4 mg) or saline were administered to 39 volunteers in a double-blind fashion. Psychomotor performance was assessed on a battery of tests (standing steadiness, pursuit rotor, simple and complex reaction times, a speeded number test and the Vienna Determination Apparatus) and blood and breath ethanol concentrations were monitored. Two experiments were performed: in Experiment 1 ethanol was given before naloxone and in Experiment 2 naloxone was administered before ethanol. There were no significant differences in either blood or breath ethanol concentrations at any time between the ethanol + naloxone and ethanol + saline groups in either Experiment 1 or 2. Although ethanol produced a significant decrement on most of the performance measures, naloxone was without effect. There was no suggestion of ethanol impairment being moderated by naloxone, whether it was given before or after ethanol.

Investigating drug‐ethanol interactions.

“…Subjects were tested (on two occasions) at 50 or 90 min after receiving an ethanol dose (1.0 g/kg, as a 20% v/v solution consumed over 30 min) when the mean blood ethanol concentrations were not significantly different. Similar effects were also seen in an experiment designed to investigate the supposed antagonism of ethanol impairment by naloxone (Bird et al, 1982).…”

“…Acute tolerance to the effects of ethanol on performance in this test battery (Table 2) was found to occur (Lind et al, 1983 (Bird et al, 1982). We have carried out a twin study of susceptibility to ethanol intoxication in which 206 twinpairs were tested before and after the adminis-tration of a standard dose-of ethanol (0.75 g/ kg).…”

Antagonism of the stimulant and depressant effects of ethanol in rats by naloxone

“…Although such a conclusion is clear, some aspects merit discussion. Firstly, it must be pointed out that a series of data has been published in which a Nx (or naltrexone)-EtOH interaction could not be found (Cattley et al 1981 ;Jorgensen and Hole 1981;Bird et al 1982;Ewing and McCarthy 1983;Nuotto et al 1984). However, considerable technical differences (doses, timing, route of administration) must be taken into account in explaining these discrepancies.…”

Amethystic agents influencing toxicodynamics of ethanol

“…У здоровых испытуемых, принимавших алкоголь в дозах 1,0 г/кг или 1,5 г/кг, налоксон (двукратно, 0,5 мг + 2 мг через 30 мин и 1,5 часа после этанола) слабо влиял на проявления интоксикации [47]. Налоксон (0,4 мг, внутривенно), вводившийся добровольцам перед приёмом алкоголя (0,75 г/кг), либо после приёма, не устранял седативные эффекты [48]. Не обнаружено положительного эффекта антагониста в отношении алкогольиндуцированной дискоординации движений у здоровых испытуемых [49].…”