PERFORMANCE IN SIMULATED CAR DRIVING AFTER SLEEPDEPRIVATION WITH AND WITHOUT A MILD TRANQUILIZER

THREE HOURS CONTINUOUS DRIVING IN A CAR AFTER (1) NORMAL SLEEP, (2) ONE NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP IN COMBINATION WITH PLACEBO, AND (3) ONE NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP IN COMBINATION WITH DIAZEPAM (2 MG X 4) WAS SIMULATED. FOUR FACTORS WERE STUDIED: PERFORMANCE VARIABLES (TIME OFF THE ROAD, BRAKE REACTION TIME), PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES (HEART RATE, RESPIRATORY RATE, SKIN CONDUCTANCE LEVEL, AND FREQUENCY OF SKIN RESISTANCE RESPONSE), SUBJECTIVE FATIGUE, AND THE ERROR OF OMISSION IN A VIGILANCE TASK. TWELVE SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED THREE TIMES (ONCE A WEEK) IN THE EXPERIMENT. ALL THREE SLEEP CONDITIONS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OVER TIME IN PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES AND PERFORMANCE. PULSE RATE, RESPIRATORY RATE, AND FREQUENCY OF SKIN RESISTANCE RESPONSE ALL DROPPED WITH TIME; SKIN CONDUCTANCE LEVEL, HOWEVER, INCREASED. PERFORMANCE DECREASED WITH TIME, THE CHANGE BEING HIGHEST WITH CONDITION (3). THE SAME DIFFERENCES (AGAIN EXCEPTING SKIN CONDUCTANCE) WERE OBSERVED IN THE ABSOLUTE VALUES OF ALL VARIABLES, AND SUBJECTIVE FATIGUE AND THE ERROR OF OMISSION WERE HIGHER WITH CONDITIONS (2) AND (3). SIX OUT OF TWELVE CONDITION (3) SUBJECTS WENT TO SLEEP AT SOME TIME. HOWEVER, ONLY ONE CONDITION (2) SUBJECT FELL ASLEEP.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept 89, 38 PP, FIGS, TABS, 47 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Uppsala University, Sweden

  Department of Psychology, Tradgardsgaten 20
  75220 Uppsala,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • Boden, C
  • Dureman, I
• Publication Date: 1970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention; Driver performance; Drivers; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Heart; Personnel performance; Physiological aspects; Respiratory system; Skin resistance; Sleep; Vigilance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Skin conductance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223394
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 18 1971 12:00AM