Conference Proceeding

Quantifying the Benefits of Enhancing Medications on Driving Performance: Comparing OROS ® MPH vs. se-AMPH ER ® in Driving Safety of ADHD Teenagers as Case Example

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Abstract

Driving simulation is the best way to safely and reliably assess theimpact of medical parameters on driving in a controlled, replicable environment,Driving performance should be evaluated using a composite driving score, sincethe pathway to impaired driving is highly idiosyncratic and could involve anynumber of individual driving parameters. Although simulators still do not haveaccepted standards for hardware, driving scenarios, or performance variables, wepropose a partial solution to permit comparisons of composite scores acrosssimulators. We recommend presenting simulator data via a standardized averageeffect size, which we call the Impaired Driving Score (IDS). We describe how theIDS is calculated, and present data comparing 16 male and 15 female teenagedrivers with ADHD who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossoverstudy. Using an equivalent-dose regimen, we compared the effects of 72 mgof OROS® MPH (Concerta®), 30mg of se-AMPH XR® (Adderall XR®) andplacebo on driving performance. Participants drove our Atari Research DrivingSimulator at 5, 8, and 11 pm under all three medication conditions with at least aweek between conditions/drives. The primary outcome measure was participants’IDS. Across all three times, performance on Concerta® was superior to placebo(p=.005), while Adderall XR® was not (p=.14). When analyzed separately,however, only one variable was statistically significant (seconds spent speeding,p<.01). Composite driving scores permit the comparison of driving performanceacross various experimental conditions and with a normative database.Furthermore, since the IDS is based on a multi-faceted assessment of drivingperformance, it is less vulnerable to random effects and offers a more robustindicator of driving performance.

How to Cite:

Thorndike, F. & Cox, N. & Merkel, L. & Moore, M. & Burket, R. & Muller, C. & Kovatchev, B., (2005) “Quantifying the Benefits of Enhancing Medications on Driving Performance: Comparing OROS ® MPH vs. se-AMPH ER ® in Driving Safety of ADHD Teenagers as Case Example”, Driving Assessment Conference 3(2005), 278-285. doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1172

Rights: Copyright © 2005 the author(s)