ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE ARE WIDELY USED AND IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE HOW THE CONSUMPTION OF THESE TWO SOCIAL DRUGS INTERACT, HOW IT AFFECTS DRIVING ABILITY AND ULTIMATELY ROAD SAFETY. IT HAS LONG BEEN BELIEVED THAT CAFFEINE COUNTERACTS THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL INTOXICATION BUT THE EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE IS NOT CLEAR. SOME STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THAT CAFFEINE AT TIMES ENHANCES THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON PERFORMANCE, WHILE OTHER STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT CAFFEINE HAS NO EFFECT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TASK. IN A DOUBLE- BLIND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION WITH ELEVEN MEN TESTED BOTH WITH (600MG/KG) AND WITHOUT ALCOHOL, AND WITH (300MG) AND WITHOUT CAFFEINE IT WAS FOUND THAT ALCOHOL DID NOT IMPAIR PERFORMANCE ON TWO PSYCHOMOTOR TASKS (TRACKING WITH DIVIDED ATTENTION AND CHOICE REACTION TIME), NOR WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, QUESTIONNAIRE DATA SHOWED THAT SUBJECTS FELT IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL INTOXICATION AND THAT CAFFEINE REDUCED REPORTED DROWSINESS. ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY LITTLE OF THE TOTAL RESPONSE VARIANCE, AND ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE IMPORTANCE OF USING AN APPROPRIATE STATISTICAL MODEL TO ASSESS ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE EFFECTS ON SKILLED PERFORMANCE (A). THE NUMBER OF THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE IS IRRD NO 255423.
Samenvatting