Effects of meloxicam and rofecoxib on psychomotor performance: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study

Objectives: To investigate the effects of meloxicam and rofecoxib on psychomotor performance in young, healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriya University, Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. Twelve healthy, young males were allocated randomly from college students and participated in a balanced one-period cross-over investigation, with each period separated by a 7-day washed-out period. Participants were asked to perform psychomotor performance (choice reaction time and critical flicker-fusion threshold tests) before and after 2 h of receiving single oral dose of either meloxicam (7.5 mg) or rofecoxib (25 mg). Results: Meloxicam and rofecoxib were statistically significant, differing from placebo in reducing motor and recognition reaction times, respectively, of the objective test used. Both drugs were not significantly different from placebo in critical flicker-fusion frequency thresholds. Conclusion: These results allow the conclusion that the effects of preferential (meloxicam) and highly selective (rofecoxib) cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors showed central effect by improving psychomotor performance, but in different directions.