Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1986 Nov;22(5):507–512. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1986.tb02928.x

Effects of a mu-opioid receptor agonist (codeine phosphate) on visuo-motor coordination and dynamic visual acuity in man.

C M Bradley, A N Nicholson
PMCID: PMC1401180  PMID: 3024689

Abstract

Effects of codeine (30, 60 and 90 mg) on visuo-motor coordination and dynamic visual acuity, together with critical flicker fusion, digit symbol substitution, complex reaction time and subjective assessments of mood, were studied from 0.75-2.0 h after ingestion by six healthy female adults. The study was double-blind and placebo controlled, and triprolidine (10 mg) was used as the active control. The effect on visuo-motor coordination was limited and was dose related and linear, and performance was altered on visuo-motor coordination with 60 and 90 mg codeine, and on dynamic visual acuity with 90 mg codeine (P less than 0.05). No other effect of codeine was detected. Modulated neuromuscular function is likely to be the common denominator of the changes in performance with codeine, though nausea, but not sedation, may be a contributory factor. It is possible that altered performance with codeine may involve interactions with different receptors than those which lead to sedation.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Borland R. G., Nicholson A. N. Visual motor co-ordination and dynamic visual acuity. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984;18 (Suppl 1):69S–72S. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02583.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cox B. S. A recessive lethal super-suppressor mutation in yeast and other psi phenomena. Heredity (Edinb) 1971 Apr;26(2):211–232. doi: 10.1038/hdy.1971.28. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Griffiths A. N., Marshall R. W., Richens A. Saccadic eye movement analysis as a measure of drug effects on human psychomotor performance. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984;18 (Suppl 1):73S–82S. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02584.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hayes A. G., Tyers M. B. Determination of receptors that mediate opiate side effects in the mouse. Br J Pharmacol. 1983 Jul;79(3):731–736. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1983.tb10011.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jasinski D. R., Martin W. R., Hoeldtke R. Studies of the dependence-producing properties of GPA-1657, profadol, and propiram in man. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1971 Jul-Aug;12(4):613–649. doi: 10.1002/cpt1971124613. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kantor T. G., Hopper M., Laska E. Adverse effects of commonly ordered oral narcotics. J Clin Pharmacol. 1981 Jan;21(1):1–8. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1981.tb01724.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kantor T. G., Sunshine A., Laska E., Meisner M., Hopper M. Oral analgesic studies: pentazocine hydrochloride, codeine, aspirin, and placebo and their influence on response to placebo. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1966 Jul-Aug;7(4):447–454. doi: 10.1002/cpt196674447. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kantor T., Cavaliere M. B., Hopper M., Roepke S. A double-blind parallel comparison of ketoprofen, codeine, and placebo in patients with moderate to severe postpartum pain. J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 May-Jun;24(5-6):228–234. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1984.tb02778.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Keller E. L. Participation of medial pontine reticular formation in eye movement generation in monkey. J Neurophysiol. 1974 Mar;37(2):316–332. doi: 10.1152/jn.1974.37.2.316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Liljequist R. Codeine-induced memory changes: nature and relationship to opiate system. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1981;20(2):99–107. doi: 10.1007/BF00607144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nicholson A. N. Effect of the antihistamines, brompheniramine maleate and triprolidine hydrochloride, on performance in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1979 Oct;8(4):321–324. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1979.tb04712.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nicholson A. N., Smith P. A., Spencer M. B. Antihistamines and visual function: studies on dynamic acuity and the pupillary response to light. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1982 Nov;14(5):683–690. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1982.tb04957.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nicholson A. N., Stone B. M. Hypnotic activity and effects on performance of lormetazepam and camazepam--analogues of temazepam. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1982 Mar;13(3):433–439. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1982.tb01398.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Nicholson A. N., Stone B. M. The H1-antagonist mequitazine: studies on performance and visual function. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1983;25(4):563–566. doi: 10.1007/BF00542129. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pickworth W. B., Sharpe L. G. EEG-behavioral dissociation after morphine-and cyclazocine-like drugs in the dog: further evidence for two opiate receptors. Neuropharmacology. 1979 Jul;18(7):617–622. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(79)90114-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Redpath J. B., Pleuvry B. J. Double-blind comparison of the respiratory and sedative effects of codeine phosphate and (+/-)-glaucine phosphate in human volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1982 Oct;14(4):555–558. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1982.tb02028.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rothenberg S., Schottenfeld S., Gross K., Selkoe D. Specific oculomotor deficit after acute methadone. I. Saccadic eye movements. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1980;67(3):221–227. doi: 10.1007/BF00431260. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rothenberg S., Schottenfeld S., Selkoe D., Gross K. Specific oculomotor deficit after acute methadone. II. Smooth pursuit eye movements. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1980;67(3):229–234. doi: 10.1007/BF00431261. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. SIMONSON E., BROZEK J. Flicker fusion frequency; background and applications. Physiol Rev. 1952 Jul;32(3):349–378. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1952.32.3.349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Waife S. O., Gruber C. M., Jr, Rodda B. E., Nash J. F. Problems and solutions to single-dose testing of analgesics: comparison of propoxyphene, codeine, and fenoprofen. Int J Clin Pharmacol Biopharm. 1975 Jul;12(1-2):301–304. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES