Atropine, Stress and Human Performance
Abstract
These studies examined the independent and combined effects of atropine, sleep deprivation and exercise on information processing, autonomic activity, self-reports and daytime sleepiness in human subjects had found that both atropine and sleep deprivation selectively impair perceptual processing. Other investigations using animal models had found that both atropine and sleep deprivation selectively impair perceptual processing. Other investigations using animal models had found that pre-dose exercise exacerbated performance degradation due to atropine. The studies reported here confirmed the selective impairment of input processing functions in healthy young men by both atropine and sleep deprivation. For example in visual and auditory signal detection tasks, each treatment caused a decrease in perceptual sensitivity, though without a change in response criteria (Beta). In a visual reaction time task, both atropine and sleep deprivation interacted with stimulus quality variables (challenging input processing), but not with stimulus-response compatibility variables (challenging response selection and execution functions). Pre-dose exercise exacerbated the effects of the sleep deprivation on input processing, but did not interact similarly with the atropine. In general, these data suggest that 2.0 mg of atropine administered after a sleepless night could lead to an increase in performance failures in the field, particularly on tasks that demand vigilance and rapid analysis of visual or auditory information. Keywords: Drug effects; Side effects; pharmakokinetics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA208241
Entities
People
- Frank A. Holloway
- Harold L. Williams
- John Carney
Organizations
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center