This report describes the fourth in a series of studies assessing the impact of graded dosages of alcohol on cognitive performance readiness. This effort differs from our previous studies in several ways. First, the study used a new implementation of six cognitive performance tests that had previously been shown to be sensitive to blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Second, performance was assessed following each of two successive graded doses to a target level of 0.08 percent BAC. Third, we compared performance on the cognitive tests to the standardized Field Sobriety Test (FST) and to a portable automated posture assessment system (PAPAS). Results showed that, by using individual baselines, combined combined performance measures of individual subjects permits detection of alcohol induced performance changes at rather low BACs. All six tests of the DELTA battery and all three tests of the FST battery singly predicted alcohol intoxication. When combined with the (FST), the DELTA added unique variance to the prediction of alcohol level. The PAPAS test appears to correlate well with the FST and offers the obvious advantage that in addition to being portable, objective, and automatically scored, it also provides a permanent record of the event. (A)
Abstract