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Driving Under the Influence: How Music Listening Affects Driving Behaviors
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Opioid Use and Driving Performance.

Keaton T Cameron-Burr1, Albert Conicella2, Mark J Neavyn1

  • 1Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.

Journal of Medical Toxicology : Official Journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology
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PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Opioid use, especially illicit use or when combined with other drugs, impairs driving ability and increases accident risk. Clinicians must counsel patients on these risks during opioid therapy or if opioid use disorder is suspected.

Keywords:
DrivingImpairmentOpioidPsychomotorVigilance

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The United States faces an opioid epidemic, with increased use of psychoactive drugs during daily activities like driving.
  • While opioid pharmacology is studied, their impact on psychomotor function, driving performance, and collision risk remains unclear.
  • Clinicians balance pain management with conflicting literature on the safety of opioid use during potentially dangerous tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current literature on opioids concerning neurocognitive function, driving performance, and accident risk.
  • To categorize studies by context, including experimental administration, illicit use, prescription use, forensic toxicology, and polydrug consumption.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review.
  • Categorization of manuscripts by study context and subject matter.
  • Analysis of research on opioids' effects on psychomotor skills and driving.

Main Results:

  • Opioid use in combination with other psychoactive medications is strongly linked to impaired driving.
  • Illicit opioid use and the initiation of opioid therapy are associated with deficits in driving-related functions.
  • Retrospective forensic toxicology studies provide insights into real-world opioid impairment.

Conclusions:

  • Clinicians should advise patients about driving impairment risks when starting opioid therapy.
  • Counseling is crucial when co-prescribing opioids with other psychoactive drugs.
  • Patients with suspected opioid use disorder require guidance on the risks of operating a motor vehicle.