Thirty-one of the participants were taking at least one type of antidepressant while 29 control group members were taking no medication with the exception of oral contraceptives in some cases.
People on antidepressants performed significantly worse on many of the tasks given. The researchers believe the cause could be either the antidepressants themselves or the participants' depression.
Americans' use of antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft has tripled in the last decade with one in 10 American women taking some form of antidepressant drug, according to the 2004 Health United States report.
The study, titled "The Effects of Antidepressants on Cognitive and Driving Performance," was presented during the weekend at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in Boston.
