Monday, August 18, 2008

Antidepressant Use Tied to Poorer Driving - But experts aren't sure if the pills, or underlying depression, are to blame

Taking prescription antidepressants while still highly depressed could impair driving ability, a new study suggests.

"We already know that depression causes concentration problems," said study author Holly J. Dannewitz. "And now it appears that people taking antidepressants who also have relatively higher depression scores fare significantly worse when attempting to perform a computerized simulation of driving."

Dannewitz conducted her research while a graduate student at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, where she is currently a psychology resident in a private practice.

She and her colleagues were scheduled to present their findings Sunday the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in Boston.

READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT