Improvements in simulated real-world relevant performance for patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: impact of desloratadine

Background: Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) diminishes task performance and decreases quality of life. Antihistamines are frequently used to treat the symptoms of SAR. First generation antihistamines often have their own detrimental effects upon human functioning while second generation antihistamines appear to have fewer or no undesirable side-effects. Objective: This study evaluated the impact of desloratadine on simulated real-world performance demands in individuals suffering from SAR. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study where asymptomatic participants were treated with placebo and symptomatic participants were treated with desloratadine or placebo. They then participated in a real-world equivalent task performance simulation that assessed information processing capacity at multiple levels of task difficulty ranging from easy to difficult decision-making tasks. Results: Desloratadine either completely restored performance to the level of the asymptomatic placebo control or improved performance in six of the nine performance categories, where it had been diminished by the presence of SAR. Conclusoins: These findings suggest that treatment with desloratadine has considerable beneficial effects on work place performance when individuals suffer from SAR.