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Single Dose of Desloratadine Relieves Rhinitis Without Adversely Affecting Cognition or Perceived Performance vs Diphenhydramine: Presented at AAAAI

By Bonnie Darves

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- March 24, 2004 -- A single dose of desloratadine appears to control rhinitis symptoms without impairing cognitive function, a finding that contrasts with the sleepiness and impairment of cognition or performance seen with diphenhydramine, according to research findings presented here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 60^th Annual Meeting.

Lead investigator Jeffrey A. Wilken, PhD, Department of Psychology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States, compared the efficacy and cognitive effects of a single dose of desloratadine, diphenhydramine or placebo in adults with ragweed-induced allergic rhinitis who demonstrated a predetermined severity of symptoms after priming with ragweed pollen in the environmental exposure unit.

The researchers randomised 81 subjects to desloratadine 5 mg, 84 to diphenhydramine 50 mg, and 83 to placebo. Subjects completed a battery of automated neuropsychological tests before treatment (symptomatic baseline) and again 90 minutes after treatment. They rated themselves on items such as drowsiness, clearheadedness, quick-wittedness, attentiveness, coordination, lethargy and proficiency.

Dr. Wilken pointed out that the subjects given diphenhydramine experienced symptomatic relief, but were significantly sleepier that those given desloratadine. "On a scale of 1 to 7, subjects on desloratidine had a mean score of 2.6 for drowsiness and 2.5 for lethargy, compared with scores of 4.2 and 3.5, respectively, for those on diphenhydramine [P < .05]. Subjects given the placebo also reported more drowsiness and lethargy than those given desloratidine."

Scores for perception of sedation/performance increased from 20.8 at baseline to 26.9 for subjects given diphenhydramine, whereas the scores for those given desloratidine either remained unchanged or decreased.

The diphenhydramine group reported greater lethargy and less proficiency, coordination, clear-headedness than the desloratadine group (P < .05 for all), and were significantly sleepier than those on desloratadine or placebo (P < .001).

These test results emphasise the therapeutic advantages of desloratidine over diphenhydramine, which may improve rhinitis symptoms, but also reduces cognitive function to a statistically and clinically significant extent, the researchers conclude.

The study was funded by Schering-Plough.


[Study Title: Desloratadine Does Not Adversely Impact Subject-Reported Clearheadedness, Perception Of Performance, Or Proficiency. Poster 699]

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