1. Use of simple tasks to test for impairment of complex skills by a sedative
- Author
-
H V Angle, J T Skinner rd, J W Moore, Martha E. Easler, David W. Molter, Markku Linnoila, and Everett H. Ellinwood
- Subjects
Pharmacology ,Psychomotor learning ,Blood level ,Adult ,Pentobarbital ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,Eye Movements ,medicine.drug_class ,Movement ,Pharmacology toxicology ,Audiology ,Task (project management) ,Test (assessment) ,Sedative ,Anesthesia ,medicine ,Visual Perception ,Eye tracking ,Humans ,Psychology ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Examination of the effect of three doses of pentobarbital on the comparative performance of a complex psychomotor task with two simple neuromotor tasks, i. e., standing steady and pendulum eye tracking, revealed a high correlation. These simple tasks could be used as measures of intoxication since they do not require extensive training. Examination of the complex task impairment blood level ratio revealed that impairment relative to blood level was much greater in the absorption phase. This changing ratio underscores the point that blood levels alone are not an adequate estimate of intoxication.
- Published
- 1981