NTL Record

Title Alcohol and disorientation-responses. VI, Effects of alcohol on eye movements and tracking performance during laboratory angular accelerations about the yaw and pitch axes.
Record ID 39211
Personal Name
Creator
Schroeder, D.J.; Gilson, R.D.; Guedry, F.E.; Collins, W.E.
Corporate Creator Civil Aeromedical Institute
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Office of Aviation Medicine
Publisher Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Publication Date 19721200
Language English
Abstract Alcohol ingestion interferes with visual control of vestibular eye movements and thereby produces significant decrements in performance at a compensatory tracking task during oscillation about the yaw axis; significant or consistent decrements in performance in the absence of motion were not obtained. The present study was designed to extend knowledge about these effects to pitch-plane stimulation. Alcohol doses were 2.0 ml of Smirnoff vodka per kg of body weight and tests were conducted before drinking and one, two, and four hours after drinking. In the absence of motion, there was no difference between the groups in tracking error while subjects were in the pitch position; significantly more errors occurred for alcohol subjects in the yaw position one and four hours (but not two hours) after drinking. During motion, one and two hours after drinking, alcohol subjects performed significantly poorer than the non-drinkers and had significantly less control of their eye movements for both axes of stimulation. Absolute error was greater during all sessions for pitch-plane stimulation as compared with yaw-plane stimulation. These degrading effects of alcohol on performance, particularly evident during motion, are discussed from the viewpoint of aviation safety.
Rosap ID dot:21013
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21013
TRT Terms Air pilots; Aircraft pilotage; Alcohol use; Alcohol effects; Vision; Eye location; Eye fixations; Eye movements; Depth perception; Distance perception; Visual perception; Performance; Motion; Angular acceleration; Yaw; Pitch (Dynamics); Rotation; Instrument flying; Night vision; Electrodes; Blood analysis; Blood alcohol levels; Lighting; Static and dynamic tests; Velocity; Experiments; Human subject testing
General Subjects Air pilots; Airplanes--Piloting; Drinking of alcoholic beverages; Alcohol--Physiological effect; Nystagmus; Vestibular apparatus; Vestibular function tests; Motion sickness; Eye-hand coordination; Performance; Motion; Rotational motion; Speed; Acceleration (Mechanics); Yawing (Aerodynamics); Pitching (Aerodynamics); Instrument flying; Night vision; Lighting; Blood alcohol--Analysis; Electrodes; Dynamic testing
Classification NTL - AVIATION - Aviation Human Factors;
NTL - AVIATION - Aviation Safety/Airworthiness;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Aviation Safety/Airworthiness
Geographical
Coverage
United States
Report Number FAA-AM-72-34; DOT/FAA/AM-72/34
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/39000/39200/39211/AM72-34.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository