THE PSYCHOMOTOR AND COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF LITOXETINE IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED VOLUNTEERS

1 The effects of a range of doses of litoxetine (twice daily for 4 day s), a novel specific serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, were evaluated in young and middle aged volunteers. 2 Psychometric testing was carried o ut at various time points on days 1 and 4 of each treatment period. Th e test battery consisted of critical flicker fusion (CFF), choice reac tion time (CRT), compensatory tracking (CTT), Stroop and Sternberg mem ory scanning tests. Subjective feelings of sleep and sedation were mea sured by the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) and line anal ogue rating scales (LAPS). 3 Pharmacokinetic profiles were determined from analyses of blood samples taken after the final dose on day 5. 4 Overall, there were few changes in any of the psychometric tests and a lthough the higher doses of litoxetine improved CFF, these effects wer e weak in that differences could only be detected when the results wer e pooled against time.5 The pharmacokinetic profile of litoxetine was very similar in both the young and middle aged subjects, and there was no difference regarding tolerability.6 There is little evidence from this study to suggest that litoxetine has any intrinsic sedative activ ity which is likely to interfere with the performance of activities of everyday life.