Comparison of the effects of sleep deprivation, alcohol and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on simulated steering performance

AbstractPatients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are reported to have an increased risk of road traffic accidents. This study examines the nature of the impairment during simulated steering in patients with OSA, compared to normal subjects following either sleep deprivation or alcohol ingestion.Twenty-six patients with OSA and 12 normal subjects, either deprived of one night's sleep or following alcohol ingestion [mean (SD) alcohol blood level 71.6 mg dl−1(19·6)], performed a simulated steering task for a total of 90 min. Performance was measured using the tendency to wander (SD), deterioration across the task, number of ‘off-road’ events and the reaction time to peripheral events. Control data for OSA, sleep deprivation and alcohol were obtained following treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP), after a normal night of sleep, and following no alcohol, respectively.Patients with untreated OSA, and sleep-deprived or alcohol-intoxicated normal subjects performed significantly less well, compared to their respective controls (P