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Oculomotor deficits caused by 0.06% and 0.10% blood alcohol concentrations and relationship to subjective perception of drunkenness.

Fransson, Per-Anders LU orcid ; Modig, Fredrik LU ; Patel, Mitesh LU ; Gomez, Stephen and Magnusson, Måns LU orcid (2010) In Clinical Neurophysiology Jul 1. p.2134-2142
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The visual system is vital during critical activities such as driving. Studying how alcohol compromises the visual system physiologically is therefore important for safety reasons. The objective of the study was to investigate alcohol-related impairments in visual tasks performed under controlled breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) to determine dose-dependent effects. METHODS: Alcohol's effects on smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements at 0.06% and 0.10% BAC were examined whilst recording alcohol levels by real-time measurements using a high precision breath analyzer. Oculomotor performance was recorded from 25 subjects by electronystagmography comprising measurements of smooth pursuit gain, saccade velocity, saccade accuracy... (More)
OBJECTIVE: The visual system is vital during critical activities such as driving. Studying how alcohol compromises the visual system physiologically is therefore important for safety reasons. The objective of the study was to investigate alcohol-related impairments in visual tasks performed under controlled breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) to determine dose-dependent effects. METHODS: Alcohol's effects on smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements at 0.06% and 0.10% BAC were examined whilst recording alcohol levels by real-time measurements using a high precision breath analyzer. Oculomotor performance was recorded from 25 subjects by electronystagmography comprising measurements of smooth pursuit gain, saccade velocity, saccade accuracy and two novel parameters further describing oculomotor performance. RESULTS: Alcohol deteriorated accuracy of smooth pursuit movements (p<0.001) and saccadic velocities (p<0.01) at 0.06% BAC. At 0.10% BAC, smooth pursuit gains (p<0.01), saccade accuracies and saccade latencies (p<0.01) were also affected. The ratio between saccade velocity and saccade amplitude decreased significantly under alcohol intoxication (p<0.01). Self-perceptions of drunkenness correlated well with changes in smooth pursuit accuracy, but poorly with other oculomotor measures. CONCLUSIONS: Several of the smooth pursuit and saccade functions were altered dose-dependently by alcohol and small changes in BAC substantially changed the effects observed. Additionally, alcohol altered the relationship between saccade velocity and saccade amplitude, diminishing the capacity for saccades to reach high peak velocities. SIGNIFICANCE: The alcohol-induced oculomotor deficits, which were found already at 0.06% BAC by our more sensitive analysis methods, may have safety implications for tasks that rely on visual motor control and visual feedback. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Clinical Neurophysiology
volume
Jul 1
pages
2134 - 2142
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000283596800022
  • pmid:20570556
  • scopus:78049233694
  • pmid:20570556
ISSN
1872-8952
DOI
10.1016/j.clinph.2010.05.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d3f7035f-a0e8-4231-b37c-a547a86f2de7 (old id 1625809)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20570556?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:55:39
date last changed
2024-01-12 07:38:17
@article{d3f7035f-a0e8-4231-b37c-a547a86f2de7,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVE: The visual system is vital during critical activities such as driving. Studying how alcohol compromises the visual system physiologically is therefore important for safety reasons. The objective of the study was to investigate alcohol-related impairments in visual tasks performed under controlled breath alcohol concentrations (BAC) to determine dose-dependent effects. METHODS: Alcohol's effects on smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements at 0.06% and 0.10% BAC were examined whilst recording alcohol levels by real-time measurements using a high precision breath analyzer. Oculomotor performance was recorded from 25 subjects by electronystagmography comprising measurements of smooth pursuit gain, saccade velocity, saccade accuracy and two novel parameters further describing oculomotor performance. RESULTS: Alcohol deteriorated accuracy of smooth pursuit movements (p&lt;0.001) and saccadic velocities (p&lt;0.01) at 0.06% BAC. At 0.10% BAC, smooth pursuit gains (p&lt;0.01), saccade accuracies and saccade latencies (p&lt;0.01) were also affected. The ratio between saccade velocity and saccade amplitude decreased significantly under alcohol intoxication (p&lt;0.01). Self-perceptions of drunkenness correlated well with changes in smooth pursuit accuracy, but poorly with other oculomotor measures. CONCLUSIONS: Several of the smooth pursuit and saccade functions were altered dose-dependently by alcohol and small changes in BAC substantially changed the effects observed. Additionally, alcohol altered the relationship between saccade velocity and saccade amplitude, diminishing the capacity for saccades to reach high peak velocities. SIGNIFICANCE: The alcohol-induced oculomotor deficits, which were found already at 0.06% BAC by our more sensitive analysis methods, may have safety implications for tasks that rely on visual motor control and visual feedback.}},
  author       = {{Fransson, Per-Anders and Modig, Fredrik and Patel, Mitesh and Gomez, Stephen and Magnusson, Måns}},
  issn         = {{1872-8952}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{2134--2142}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Clinical Neurophysiology}},
  title        = {{Oculomotor deficits caused by 0.06% and 0.10% blood alcohol concentrations and relationship to subjective perception of drunkenness.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2010.05.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.clinph.2010.05.003}},
  volume       = {{Jul 1}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}