title: Effect of ethylic alcohol on attentive functions involved in driving abilities.
abstract: The burden of injuries due to drunk drivers has been estimated only indirectly. Indeed, alcohol is considered one of the most important contributing cause of car crash injuries and its effect on cognitive functions needs to be better elucidated. Aims of the study were i) to examine the effect of alcohol on attentive abilities involved while driving, and ii) to investigate whether Italian law limits for safe driving are sufficiently accurate to prevent risky behaviours and car crash risk while driving. We conducted a cross-over study at IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rehabilitation Hospital in Rome. Thirty-two healthy subjects were enrolled in this experiment. Participants were submitted to an attentive test battery assessing attention before taking Ethylic Alcohol (EA-) and after taking EA (EA+). In the EA+ condition subjects drank enough wine until the blood alcohol concentration, measured by means of Breath Analyzer, was equal to or higher than 0.5 g/l. Data analysis revealed that after alcohol assumption, tonic and phasic alertness, selective, divided attention and vigilance were significantly impaired when BAC level was at least 0.5 g/l. These data reveal that alcohol has a negative effect on attentive functions which are primarily involved in driving skills and that Italian law limits are adequate to prevent risky driving behaviour.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia Rehabilitation Hospital, Rome, Italy. Email: u.bivona@hsantalucia.it.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bivona
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garbarino
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rigon
authors.forename: Maria Gabriella
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Buzzi
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onder
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matteis
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catani
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giustini
authors.forename: Giovanni Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Mancardi
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Formisano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D001334:Automobile Driving; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol