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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Automobile driving studies to determine alcohol-induced driving insecurity after dark].

To further elucidate the question whether the criteria for assessing alcohol-induced unfitness to drive should be stricter for night-time than for day-time driving (cf. Schewe et al., 1977) 64 test persons performed automobile driving tests in daylight and in darkness while being sober and while under the influence of alcohol. The first set of tests was done in daylight. A test course of approx. 600 m involving six everyday driving maneuvers had to be covered, first in the sober state and then at blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 1.1 g % and 1.4 g %. The driving tests in the dark were performed on the same test course, first in the sober state and then at a BAC of 1.1 g%. In both test series the errors were counted and the driving times measured. Statistical evaluation of the test results was done parametrically (t-test for dependent random samples) and distribution-free (Wilcoxon's test for paired comparison). In the sober state 2.1 errors were made on average during the day and 3.2 errors, i.e. one error more, at night. At 1.1 g %, 4.3 errors occurred during the day but 8.0 errors at night (i.e. 3.7 errors more than during the day). The differences were statistically significant. With 8 errors during night-time driving at 1.1 g % the number of errors was still higher than the average number of 6.8 errors made during day-time driving at 1.4 g %. The average driving times required in the sober state were 241 s during the day and 256 s at night. At 1.1 g %, 243 s were needed during the day and 272 s at night, i.e. on average 17 s more than for day-time driving at 1.4 g % for which 255 s were needed. For an orienting comparison of driving performance it can be assumed that "performance" in the sense meant here is reciprocally proportional to the number of errors and reciprocally proportional to the time required, i.e. on the whole reciprocally proportional to the product from number of errors and time. The deterioration of performance can be illustrated best by assuming performance in the sober state during the day to be 100% and relating the other "performances" thereto.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Experimental population genetics of meiotic drive systems. I. Pseudo-Y chromosomal drive as a means of eliminating cage populations of Drosophila melanogaster.

The experimental population genetics of Y-chromosome drive in Drosophila melanogaster is approximated by studying the behavior of T(Y;2),SD lines. These exhibit "pseudo-Y" drive through the effective coupling of the Y chromosome to the second chromosome meiotic drive locus, Segregation distorter (SD). T(Y;2),SD males consequently produce only male offspring. When such lines are allowed to compete against structurally normal SD(+) flies in population cages, T(Y;2),SD males increase in frequency according to the dynamics of a simple haploid selection model until the cage population is eliminated as a result of a deficiency in the number of adult females. Cage population extinction generally occurs within about seven generations.-Several conclusions can be drawn from these competition cage studies:(1) Fitness estimates for the T(Y;2),SD lines (relative to SD(+ )) are generally in the range of 2-4, and these values are corroborated by independent estimates derived from studies of migration-selection equilibrium. (2) Fitness estimates are unaffected by cage replication, sample time, or the starting frequency of T(Y;2),SD males, indicating that data from diverse cages can be legitimately pooled to give an overall fitness estimate. (3) Partitioning of the T(Y;2),SD fitnesses into components of viability, fertility, and frequency of alternate segregation (Y + SD from X + SD(+)) suggests that most of the T(Y;2),SD advantage derives from the latter two components. Improvements in the system might involve increasing both the viability and the alternate segregation to increase the total fitness. While pseudo-Y drive operates quite effectively against laboratory stocks, it is less successful in eliminating wild-type populations which are already segregating for suppressors of SD action. This observation suggests that further studies into the origin and rate of accumulation of suppressors of meiotic drive are needed before an overall assessment can be made of the potential of Y-chromosome drive as a tool for population control.

Animals

To drive or not to drive: preliminary results from road testing of patients with dementia.

There has been considerable debate about whether driving privileges should be revoked from patients with a diagnosis of dementia and whether highway safety policies should come under closer scrutiny for all elderly. Two case studies are reported of patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease who participated in a pilot project to assess driving. Subjects underwent neurologic and neuropsychological evaluation. Caregivers were included in psychosocial assessments. Patients participated in a specially designed driving evaluation, including an actual road test. Although both patients had mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment on standard tests, one of the patients was deemed safe to drive on the road test while the other was not. These preliminary results suggest that driving skill may not be predictable solely on the basis of the office examination. A road competency test provides a more objective and direct measure on which to base a decision of such important consequence. Implications for public policy and the role for healthcare providers in this process are discussed.

Aged

Effects of loratadine and cetirizine on actual driving and psychometric test performance, and EEG during driving.

Sixteen healthy male and female volunteers took part in a 6-way, double-blind cross-over trial to compare the effects of single doses of cetirizine 10 mg, loratadine 10 mg and placebo, with and without alcohol (0.72 g.kg-1, lean body mass). Performance was measured in two repetitions of a psychometric test battery, and a standard, over-the-road driving test. EEG was also measured during driving. Alcohol significantly affected almost every performance measure and altered the EEG energy spectrum during driving whilst the blood concentrations declined from 0.37 to 0.20 mg.ml-1. The effects of cetirizine of on driving performance resembled those of alcohol. It caused the subjects to operate with significantly greater variability in speed and lateral position ('weaving' motion). The effects of alcohol and cetirizine appeared to be additive. Certain cetirizine-placebo differences in subjective feelings and test battery performance were also significant. Loratadine had no significant effect on any performance parameter. It was concluded that cetirizine, but not loratadine, generally caused mild impairment of performance after a single 10 mg dose.

Adult

Drinkers and their driving: compliance with drinking-driving legislation in four Australian states.

This study replicates work in Norway and the United States in investigating the extent to which Australian drivers attempt to comply with drinking-driving legislation. In a four-state survey of 1,133 drinkers, it was found that people were aware of the need to control their alcohol input before driving, and derived estimates of blood alcohol after a recent away-from-home drinking occasion demonstrated that the amount people drank was influenced by whether or not they were driving. Drivers reported drinking less than nondrivers and were also those who usually consumed less alcohol. These findings were also true of people with different levels of normal consumption. Although these results are encouraging, it is suggested that there is need for further modification of sanctions, and that the community needs more information about the alcohol content of drinks and drink sizes if people are to moderate effectively their drinking before driving.

Accidents, Traffic

[Effect of air-electric fields on driving and reaction patterns. Test subjects in the car driving simulator (author's transl)].

In the relevant frequency range of about 10 Hertz cars can be considered very largely as Faraday cages and consequently as screens against air-electric fields. This may have a negative influence on driving and reaction patterns as a result. In an extensive investigation 48 subjects in a driving simulator were exposed to definite artificially produced air-electric fields. The self-rating of the performance and concentration of the subjects, reaction times and driving errors were determined. While the reaction times remained practically constant, the driving behavior of the subjects improved.

Adolescent

A study on driving status in 98 epileptic patients with driving licences.

As to the driving status in the period between January 1984 and December 1988, 98 epileptic patients with driving licences were examined, paying regard to their clinical conditions. Sixty-one (62%) of the patients were seizure-free for the last five years or more in December 1988. Eighty-one (83%) were actually driving motor vehicles at the time of this study, and 27 (33%) of the 81 drivers still had fits during the past five years. Nine patients (9%) had caused traffic accidents, but no accident had occurred due to seizures. The type of the nine accidents was as follows: One case of a slight physical injury to the other person, four cases of the driver's own car damage without other material damage, and four of the accidents involving other cars.

Accidents, Traffic

Driving offenders and the defensive driving course--an archival study.

Two hundred and seventy-five drivers who had been required by court order to attend a Defensive Driving Course (DDC) were compared on six posttreatment driving measures obtained from archival data with 275 drivers who also had had a court appearance and standard treatment. The DDC group showed greater reductions in serious and accident-promoting convictions but no greater reduction in accidents when compared with the standard treatment comparison group.

Accidents, Traffic

Drink-driving in the general night-time driving population, Adelaide 1989.

A roadside breath alcohol survey was conducted by the NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit in 1989 to monitor the efficacy of random breath testing (RBT) by the police. A reduction of 40 per cent in the proportion of drivers above the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 g/100 ml was found to coincide with a marked increase in the level of publicity of police RBT operations. Other factors may also have contributed to these large reductions in illegal drink-driving but this result was similar to that observed in 1987 when a major increase in publicity was accompanied by an increase in the level of enforcement of RBT. Although the full effect of these reductions has diminished with time, there appears to have been a decrease in illegal drink-driving in Adelaide from 1983 to 1987 and again to 1989.

Adult

Effects on driving performance of visual field defects: a driving simulator study.

To elucidate the possible traffic safety risks induced by visual field defects, a method was developed based on a driving simulator. The capacity to detect stimuli of different sizes appearing in 24 different positions on the screen in front of the driver was measured. Two groups of normal subjects and a number of subjects with different visual field defects were studied. In the groups of normals, the median reaction times were fairly homogenous. There was a slight difference between central and peripheral stimuli, which was somewhat larger for the older subjects. Among the subjects with field defects, the individual variations were very dominant. Very few of these showed a capacity to compensate for their deficiency. In order to gain insight into possible compensatory mechanisms of these persons, eye movement recordings were made. The results indicate that the visual search pattern may be of importance in this respect. Some comparisons with respect to detection capacity were also made with one-eyed subjects and with optically generated field restrictions (spectacles and spectacle frames).

Adult

Escape learning in infant mice as a function of drive level and drive shifts during acquisition.

Separate groups of 9-day-old Swiss-Webster mice began straight-alley escape training at .1 or .4 mA. After 12 trials, half of the mice in each group were shifted to .4 or .1 mA, respectively, whereas the remaining half continued at their original level for an additional 12 trials. Twenty-four hours later, half of each of the 4 shock-level groups were retested at .1 mA, half at .4 mA. The results indicated that those groups which made a large number of competing responses during early trials and showed a gradual reduction over training trials (.1-.1 and .1-.4) emitted the fewest number during retest at either shock level. In contrast, those groups with either limited (.4-.1) or no (.4-.4) opportunity to decrease competing responses during training showed evidence of poor (.4-.1) and no (.4-.4) retention of learned inhibition of that response. Running speed was clearly a performance measure, as it only reflected existing shock levels during both training and retention trials.

Age Factors

Driving and Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the driving status of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients presenting to a geriatric clinic, and to investigate the ability of brief cognitive assessment measures to identify those who are no longer able to continue driving safely. DESIGN: Based on caregivers' reports of driving status, AD patients were divided into three groups: those who were still driving with no difficulty, those still driving but having difficulty, and those who had stopped driving due to their cognitive problems. Scores on commonly used cognitive tests were compared across groups. Age, gender, and duration of dementia were also investigated. SETTING: The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) outpatient Geriatric and Family Services Clinic. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred consecutive patients who met DSM-III-R criteria for primary degenerative dementia and were either currently driving or had stopped driving due to cognitive deficits. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-two subjects were reportedly still driving with no difficulty, 23 were still driving with difficulty, and 55 were no longer driving. Both mental status screening and functional assessments were significantly different between drivers and nondrivers, as were scores on a visual-spatial task. In addition, gender and age distinguished the groups: younger drivers and men drivers were less likely to stop driving despite significant cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Given the large number of AD patients who continue to drive and who experience problems with driving, this investigation highlights the need for assessment of driving safety as part of a clinical dementia evaluation. In addition, the results suggest a combination of cognitive and functional measures that may be helpful in identifying patients who are at greatest risk for unsafe driving.

Aged

Driving restrictions advised by midwestern cardiologists implanting cardioverter defibrillators: present practices, criteria utilized, and compatibility with existing state laws.

Although some patients remain at risk of losing physical control or collapsing after implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator for sustained ventricular arrhythmias, little is known about restrictions advised by arrhythmia specialists to patients with implanted devices concerning physical activities such as driving. In this study, all of the 58 cardiologists implanting cardioverter defibrillators in three contiguous midwestern states were surveyed to determine present practices and the compatibility of these practices with existing state law. Of the 51 respondents (88%), 27 cardiologists (53%) advised only those implanted patients who had had arrhythmia-induced presyncope or physical collapse to cease driving. Twenty two of the remaining cardiologists (43%) advised all implanted patients to cease driving, whereas two cardiologists (4%) never advised any implanted patient to restrict driving. Permanent driving abstinence was advised by seven of the responding cardiologists (14%), while temporary driving abstinence for periods of 2-12 months (mean 6 +/- 3 months) was recommended by the remaining 42 respondents (82%) who advised against driving. The criteria utilized, driving restrictions advised, and durations advised for driving restrictions were not uniform in any of the 13 surveyed university and nonaffiliated cardiology practices with greater than or equal to 2 implanting cardiologists. Overall, 38 cardiologists (74%) advised against driving and recommended durations that equaled or exceed their state's minimum legal requirements, although only 27 of the 51 cardiologists (53%) based their practice upon knowledge of their state's driving laws. The results of this survey suggest that the majority of cardiologists who implant cardioverter defibrillators advise their patients against driving postoperatively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Automobile Driving