A good deal is known about the effects of both alcohol intoxication and sleep deprivation on human performance in specific tasks. However, little is known about the effects of these two treatment conditions of component cognitive processes, fundamental to a wide range of human activities. Further, little is known about the effects of these two conditions in combination, despite the fact that the two occur together commonly in a variety of social and industrial settings. Five factorial experiments have been designed to extend our knowledge of the independent and combined effects of alcohol and sleep deprivation on human cognitive processes and resources. The first three examine the effects of these treatments on component cognitive processes defined by categorically distinct task variables additive factors analysis of reaction times. The fourth examines the effects of the two treatments on response measures reflecting resource allocation. The fifth experiment will examine the mobilization of resources by incentive, which may ameliorate the effects of the two treatments. The first and last experiments also permit speed/accuracy analyses of performance, reflecting resource allocation and usage under the two treatment conditions. Integrated behavioral and event-related potential data will provide an account of alcohol and sleep deprivation effects on cognitive processes and resources required by a wide ranged of human activities. Such an account, based on component processes of human cognition, nay provide wider predictive generality than an account based on task-specific performance simulations alone.
| Krull, K R; Smith, L T; Sinha, R et al. (1993) Simple reaction time event-related potentials: effects of alcohol and sleep deprivation. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 17:771-7 |
| Krull, K R; Smith, L T; Kalbfleisch, L D et al. (1992) The influence of alcohol and sleep deprivation on stimulus evaluation. Alcohol 9:445-50 |
