低負荷の飲酒が引き起こす呼気アルコール濃度の変動と脳機能低下に関する研究

抄録

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.