[Driving fitness in therapy with antidepressive drugs]

The driving ability of patients under therapy with antidepressives is seen less restrictive than some years ago. The inhibition of psychomotor performance is of special interest. Some empirical studies point at antidepressives increasing the risk for accidents at least in elderly patients. Different groups of antidepressants apparently show different effects. Tricyclic antidepressants were shown to worsen cognitive and psychomotor performance in some patients while serotonin reuptake inhibitors and some other new antidepressants may cause less behavioral toxicity. Methodological problems in assessing driving ability and some recent findings are discussed.