Citation

Benderoth S, Hörmann HJ, Schießl C, Elmenhorst EM. Sleep 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Publisher Associated Professional Sleep Societies)

DOI

10.1093/sleep/zsab151

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) is a widely used objective method to measure sustained attention, but the standard 10-min version is often impractical in operational settings. We investigated the reliability and validity of a 3-min PVT administered on a portable handheld device assessing sensitivity to sleep loss and alcohol in relation to a 10-min PVT and to applied tasks.

METHODS: Forty-seven healthy volunteers underwent a 12 consecutive days sleep lab protocol. A cross-over design was adopted including total sleep deprivation (TSD, 38 hours awake), sleep restriction (SR, 4 h sleep opportunity), acute alcohol consumption, and SR after alcohol intake (SR/Alc 4 h sleep opportunity). Participants performed a 10-min and 3-min PVT and operationally-relevant tasks related to demands in aviation and transportation.

RESULTS: Sleep loss resulted in significant performance impairments compared to baseline measurements detected by both PVT versions - particularly for mean speed (both p <.001) - and the operationally-relevant tasks. Similar effects were observed due to alcohol intake (speed: both p <.001). The 3-min and 10-min PVT results were highly correlated (speed: between r =.72 and r =.89). Three of four aviation related tasks showed robust correlations with the 3-min PVT. Correlations with the parameters of the task related to transportation were lower, but mainly significant.

CONCLUSION: The 3-min PVT showed a high reliability and validity in assessing sleep loss and alcohol induced impairments in cognitive performance. Thus, our results underline its usefulness as potential fitness for duty self-monitoring tool in applied settings.

Language: en

Keywords

alcohol; reliability; sleep restriction; validity; sleep deprivation; alertness; attention; psychomotor vigilance; PVT; sensitivity; sleep loss