The Interactive Effects of Extended Wakefulness and Low-dose Alcohol on Simulated Driving and Vigilance

Sleep deprivation and alcohol both impair driving performance. This paper assesses the interactive effect of low-dose alcohol and extended wakefulness. The work is based on repeated-measures and crossover design evaluation of psychomotor and driving function in a non-sleep-deprived state and after extended wakefulness, with and without low-dose alcohol. 19 professional driver volunteers in a teaching hospital sleep lab were studied. Driving simulation (AusEd™) and the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) were measured in a rested state (12-15 hrs awake) and after extended wakefulness (18-21 hrs awake) during 2 sessions. Alcohol was administered during 1 session, with performance measured at blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.00%, 0.03%, and 0.05% in a non-sleep-deprived state, and at 0.03% after extended wakefulness (at 01:00 and 03:00). During the second session, tests were performed at the same times without alcohol. The combination of extended wakefulness and low-dose alcohol had significant deleterious effects on reaction time and lapses (PVT) and variation in lane position and speed (AusEd). Extended wakefulness (18-21 hrs awake) combined with low-dose alcohol (0.03% BAC) resulted in more lapses (t = -2.75, P < 0.05) and greater variation in lane position (t = -3.94, P < 0.01) and speed (t = -2.79, P < 0.05) than did a BAC of 0.05% in a rested state. It is concluded that the combination of low-dose alcohol and extended wakefulness causes impairment worse than that at an alcohol level known to increase accident risk. Avoiding alcohol when driving after extended wakefulness may reduce accident risk.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01618105
• Authors:
  • Howard, Mark E
  • Jackson, Melinda L
  • Kennedy, Gerard A
  • Swann, Philip
  • Barnes, Maree
  • Pierce, Robert J
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1334-1340
• Serial:
  • Sleep
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISSN: 0161-8105
  • EISSN: 1550-9109
  • Serial URL: https://academic.oup.com/sleep

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alertness; Automobile driving; Driving simulators; Drunk driving; Impaired drivers; Reaction time; Sleep deprivation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Low dose alcohol (Within legal limit)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01081278
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 26 2007 9:57AM