THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN TRANSQUILIZERS AND ALCOHOL UPON KINETIC VISUAL ACUITY

THE INCREASING PRESCRIPTION OF PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION IN THE U.K. AND ELSEWHERE IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN A HIGHER PROPORTION OF ROAD USERS DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SUCH DRUGS. IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO STUDY THEIR EFFECTS UPON ALL ASPECTS OF THE DRIVING TASK. THIS PAPER CONCERNS THE EFFECTS OF FOUR COMMONLY PRESCRIBED TRANQUILIZING DRUGS AND SMALL AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL UPON KINETIC VISUAL ACUITY (K.V.A.)--THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE A MOVING OBJECT TRAVELLING TOWARDS THE EYE AT A CONSTANT SPEED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE. PREVIOUS RESEARCH BY PROFESSOR SUZUMURA (NAGOYA UNIVERSITY, JAPAN) HAS SUGGESTED THAT K.V.A. IS AN IMPORTANT DRIVER-RELATED FUNCTION. USING A FULLY-RANDOMISED DOUBLE-BLIND PROCEDURE, FOUR GROUPS OF 20 SUBJECTS (10 MEN AND 10 WOMEN) WERE EACH TESTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF FOUR DRUGS (TRIFLUOPERAZINE, CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE, HALOPERIDOL, AMYLOBARDITONE SODIUM) AND A PLACEBO. A FIFTH GROUP WAS GIVEN A DOUBLE PLACEBO TREATMENT. WITHIN EACH TREATMENT, THE SUBJECTS WERE ALSO TESTED WITH AND WITHOUT ALCOHOL (0.5 G/KG BODY WEIGHT). TRIFLUOPERAZINE PRODUCED A SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT IN K.V.A. VALUES FOR MALE SUBJECTS AND FOR FEMALE SUBJECTS UNDER ALCOHOL. AMYLOBARBITONE SODIUM AND CHLORIDIAZEPOXIDE PRODUCED SOME IMPROVEMENT IN K.V.A. VALUES, WHEREAS HALOPERIDOL PRODUCED DIFFERENT EFFECTS IN MALES AND FEMALES. ALCOHOL DID NOT PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT OVERALL EFFECT UPON K.V.A. VALUES. IF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OCCUR IN THE REAL DRIVING SITUATION THEN A POTENTIAL DANGER MAY EXIST. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PHYSICIANS SHOULD WARN PATIENTS OF THE POSSIBLE DANGER IN DRIVING DURING THE EARY STAGES OF TREATMENT.

• Corporate Authors:

  Ameerican Association for Automotive Medicine

  ,    
• Authors:
  • CLAYTON, A B
  • Mackay, G M
  • BETTS, T A
• Publication Date: 1972-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 199-215
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Am Assoc Automotive Medicine
  • Publisher: Ameerican Association for Automotive Medicine

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Driver performance; Drivers; Drugs; Drunk driving; Highway safety; Personnel performance; Tranquilizers
• Old TRIS Terms: Kinesthetic
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222325
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 23 1974 12:00AM