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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

A Computerized Test Battery to Study Pharmacodynamic Effects on the Central Nervous System of Cholinergic Drugs in Early Phase Drug Development
Published on: February 11, 2019
Children's school performance is not impaired by short-term administration of diphenhydramine or loratadine
B G Bender1, D R McCormick, H Milgrom
1National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80206, USA.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a second-generation H1 antihistamine produces less sedation in children and permits greater learning in a school setting than a classic antihistamine.
Study Design:
Sixty-three 8- to 10-year-old children who had histories of seasonal allergic rhinitis but had no symptoms at the time of the study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: placebo, diphenhydramine, or loratadine. Medications were administered on 3 of 4 study days, twice 6 hours apart, while participants attended a laboratory school. Classroom testing at the end of each school day evaluated the children's retention of curriculum material. Potential sedative effects were additionally evaluated by self-report of somnolence and computerized reaction-time testing.
Results:
No treatment-related differences emerged on the verbal instruction score, reading test score, reaction time, or somnolence scale.
Conclusions:
Learning and response time in children attending a laboratory school were not significantly affected by either antihistamine.
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