A Study of Variability in Breath Alcohol Concentration and Brain Function Decline After Low Impact Drinking

Abstract

Driving under the influence of alcohol is prohibited by the Road Traffic Law, and penalties are imposed when the alcohol concentration in the breath is 0.15 mg/l or higher. However, even if the concentration value is below the standard value, traffic accidents occur frequently and may cause a decline in brain function. In the present study, we used event-related potentials to evaluate the decline in brain function caused by low-load drinking. Beer with 5% alcohol content was used as the drinking load, and a go/no go task was applied to evoke event-related potentials. As a result, the alcohol concentration in the breath increased significantly (p < 0.05) 10, 30, and 50 minutes after drinking compared to before drinking. In addition, the event-related potentials at these times changed significantly (p < 0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the breath alcohol concentration 70 minutes after drinking, whereas there was a significant change in the event-related potential. The present study suggests that low-load alcohol consumption causes a decline in brain function.