PMID: 6109495Jan 1, 1980Paper

Correlations between alcohol ingestion, blood alcohol levels and behavior problems

Annales de l'anesthésiologie française
P HroudaP Huguenard

Abstract

Behaviour changes in 20 young adults subjected to an alcohol tolerance test finding a blood alcohol level of the order of 80 mg.l-1 were assessed using a series of tests exploring certain qualities required in a vehicle driver, in particular capacity for focalisation of attention, possibilities of acquisition of new information, short-term memory with a visual support, the quality of motor reflexes and conscious level as involved in postural regulation. Results showed an absence of correlation between the amount of alcohol ingested (0.5 g.kg-1 of alcohol in the form of commercial Vodka) and resultant blood alcohol levels measured at the 30 th minute, or at the 102 minute after ingestion. However, they above all showed that there was virtually no correlation between blood alcohol level and behavioural modifications. In some instances, such modifications went even in the direction of an improvement, notably in terms of focalisation of attention in the majority of cases and postural tonic activity in some cases. However, certain individuals with "legal" blood alcohol levels showed evidence of behaviour which could be dangerous at the wheel of a car.

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