Drugs and driving

About this study

This project will examine how an acute single dose of Methylphenidate (Ritalin^® 10mg) affects visual attention, subjective mood assessments and driving performance. Participants can be aged between 21 and 40 years old, in good health and have a current (valid) full driver's licence (no ‘P’ plates).

What’s involved?

Participants will be asked to attend Swinburne University on three separate occasions:

• one screening session for a maximum of 1.5 hours
• two testing sessions (one week apart) for three hours each.

In each testing session, participants will receive either Methylphenidate (Ritalin^® 10mg) or a placebo only. They will be reimbursed for their time and travel for their participation in the study.

For further enquiries

ritalin@swinburne.edu.au

About this study

This study investigates how moderate and high doses of alcohol affect head and eye movements during simulated driving. This project will allow us to train vehicle safety systems to ensure accurate and sensitive real-time methods of measuring driver impairment due to alcohol usage.

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• are aged between 21 to 55
• have a previous history with alcohol to an estimated BAC of 0.08 percent with no known adverse reaction
• hold a full driver’s license (current/active or recently expired)
• weight under 100 kilograms
• are regular driver (50 kilometres per week)

Note: Additional eligibility criteria may apply to participate in this study.
 

What’s involved?

Participants will be asked to attend four visits at Swinburne University for:

• one screening session for a maximum of 1.5 hours
• three testing sessions (one week apart) for a maximum of four hours each.

About this study

This study aims to examine the relationship between eye movements and driver behaviour to better understand the impact of medicinal cannabis use on driving performance in healthy adults under a variety of formulations, preparations, and doses of medicinal cannabis products available to patients.

It will also ensure that new vehicle safety technologies that are designed to detect and measure impairment due to substance usage are functioning in a way that is both accurate and reliable.

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• are male or female aged 21 to 55 years  
• are a regular driver (more than 4,000 kilometres per year) with three years of driving with a full driver’s licence (no 'P plate' drivers) 
• are within the healthy BMI range (18.5 to >30). 
• have previous (lifetime history) of cannabis use with no adverse side effects.

What’s involved?

Participants will be asked to attend four visits at Swinburne University for:

• one screening session for a maximum of 1.5 hours
• five testing sessions (one week apart) for a maximum of five hours each.

About this study

This study is looking at how medical cannabis impacts driving and cognitive performance during the first few months of treatment.:

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• have chronic pain
• are 21 years or over
• have a driver’s license
• are about to commence (but have not yet commenced) treatment with medical cannabis

What’s involved?

You will be required to attend Swinburne University in Hawthorn on four separate occasions. The first visit will occur before you use medical cannabis for the first time. The other visits will occur at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after you have started using medical cannabis. 

On each of these visits, you will complete a driving simulation task, cognitive assessments and several questionnaires. You will also provide oral fluid samples. You will be reimbursed for your time and medication costs.

About this study

This study aims to determine whether long-term methamphetamine use produces changes to driving ability, and if this can be effectively measured and monitored by tracking eye-movements during driving. This will be compared to people who have not had any lifetime history of amphetamine substance usage.

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• are a male or female aged 21 to 60 years
• are willing and able to provide written informed consent
• understand and are willing and able to comply with all study procedures
• are fluent in written and spoken English
• have normal vision or corrected with contact lenses
• have normal cognitive function
• currently hold a (full) driver's licence (no ‘P platers’) and are active drivers (at least once per week) with at least three years of driving experience
• have no lifetime history of illicit amphetamine substance usage [amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)]
• have not used other illicit substances or consumed prescription medications recreationally (those not prescribed to you) in past 12 months.

What’s involved?

You will be asked to first complete a comprehensive pre-screening questionnaire to ensure that you will be eligible to take part before attending a single study session at Swinburne University in Hawthorn, Melbourne. This onsite visit will take approximately four hours.

First, you will be medically screened by the study nurse and be introduced to the driving simulation task and the simulator environment. After these screening procedures, you will complete some questionnaires before completing the first of the cognitive testing tasks and follow up surveys.

After this, you will complete the driving simulator task with simultaneous eye monitoring and completing some driving performance questionnaires. We will then provide you with some lunch before repeating these procedures.

You will be reimbursed for your time and will be provided with lunch on the day.

2023

Hayley, A. C. et al. (2023). “Acute neurocognitive and subjective effects of oral methamphetamine with low doses of alcohol: A randomised controlled trial”. Journal of Psychopharmacology. Available online. 

Arkell, T. R. et al. (2023). Assessment of medical cannabis and health-related quality of life. JAMA Network Open 6(5): e2312522-e2312522.

Manning, B. et al. (2023). “Effect of CannEpil® on simulated driving performance and co-monitoring of ocular activity: A randomised controlled trial”. Psychopharmacology 37(5): 472-483.

Arkell, T. R. et al. (2023). “Acute effects of amphetamine and related psychostimulants on impulsivity: a systematic review of clinical trials”. Addiction Biology 27(2): e13128.

Arkell, T. R. et al. (2023). “Sex differences in acute cannabis effects revisited: Results from two randomized, controlled trials”. Addiction Biology 27(2): 13125.

McCartney, D., Arkell, T. R. et al. (2023). “Are blood and oral fluid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and metabolite concentrations related to impairment? A meta-regression analysis”. Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews 131: e104433.

2022

Arkell, T. et al. (2022). “Effects of psychotropic drugs on ocular parameters relevant to traffic safety: A systematic review”. Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews 141: e104831.

Aitken, B., Downey, L. D. & Hayley, A. C. (2022). “The prevalence of alcohol use and risky driving practises among individuals who consume sedatives nonmedically: findings from the NESARC-III”. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 48(6): 745-754.. 

2021

Arkell, T. R., Hayley, A. C. & Downey, L. D. (2021). “High standards: considerations for the application of the standard THC unit”. The Lancet Psychiatry 8(11), 947-948. 

Arkell, T. R., Hayley, A. C. & Downey, L. D. (2021). “Managing the high: Developing legislation and detection methods for cannabis impairment”. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 22(9): 584-584.

McCartney, D., Arkell, T. R. et al. (2021). “Determining the magnitude and duration of acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC)-induced driving and cognitive impairment: A systematic and meta-analytic review”. Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews 126: 175-193. 

Arkell, T. R. et al. (2021).” Medical cannabis and driving”. Australian Journal of General Practise 50(6): 357-362.

Arkell, T. et al. (2021). “The failings of per se limits to detect cannabis-induced driving impairment: Results from a simulated driving study”. Traffic Injury Prevention 22(2): 102-107.

Narayan, A. J. et al. (2021). “The effects of amphetamines alone and in combination with alcohol on functional neurocognition: A systematic review”. Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews 131: 865-881.

Hayley, A. C. et al. (2021). “Driver monitoring systems (DMS): The future of impaired driving management?”. Traffic Injury Prevention 22(4): 313-317.

Aitken, B. et al. (2021). “The combined effects of alcohol and benzodiazepines on driving-related neurocognitive skills: A systematic review”. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 82(5): 553-563.

2020

Arkell, T. “Effect of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on driving performance: a randomized clinical trial”. JAMA 324(21): 2177-2186.