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30 - Sleep medication and traffic safety in the elderly

from Part 3 - Sleepdisorders in the elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2010

S. R. Pandi-Perumal
Affiliation:
Somnogen Inc, New York
Jaime M. Monti
Affiliation:
Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Andrew A. Monjan
Affiliation:
National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
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Summary

This chapter gives a concise overview of the impact of the use of sleep medication on traffic safety in the elderly. Various benzodiazepine hypnotics have been tested in healthy subjects using the on-the-road driving test. To illustrate the magnitude of driving impairment, effects of different dosages of alcohol are also depicted. It is evident that driving impairment after intake of most benzodiazepine hypnotics is worse than what is regarded as acceptable for alcohol. The Z-drugs zopiclone, zolpidem, and zaleplon were developed to overcome the unwanted residual effects of benzodiazepine hypnotics. Zolpidem when taken as recommended has no residual effects on driving ability and thus is a great improvement when compared to benzodiazepines and zopiclone. It is evident that the elderly may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of sleep medications. Also, renal and hepatic function decreases with aging.
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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