Effects of chronic zimelidine and ethanol on psychomotor performance

Twelve healthy men between 22 and 27 years of age participated in an experiment on interactions between zimelidine and ethanol. Zimelidine, 200 mg/24 hours, was administered for 10 days and ethanol, 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg of body weight, or placebo drinks were administered either with placebo capsules or on the last 3 days of zimelidine treatment. A battery of tests measuring skilled performance was used. The higher dose of ethanol increased plasma zimelidine and norzimelidine concentrations. Ethanol impaired standing steadiness, tracking, and one aspect of verbal information processing. Zimelidine improved tracking. No significant pharmacodynamic ethanol-zimelidine interactions were observed.