CARBON-MONOXIDE AND HUMAN-PERFORMANCE IN A SINGLE AND DUAL TASK METHODOLOGY

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 54  (8) , 714-717
Abstract
Does CO exposure limit man''s ability to time share 2 concurrent tasks? Subjects (15) underwent 2 different 2.5 h exposures to filtered air or 100 ppm CO. They peformed 2 tasks singly and in combination. The central task was a compensatory tracking task with 3 levels of difficulty; the peripheral task was a signal detection task with 3 probabilities of signal occurrence. When HbCO levels reached 5% (during the last half hour of the exposure) performance on the peripheral signal detection task was altered. This was demonstrated by a 6% decline in signals detected correctly (P < 0.05). This decline in signals detected was found when the signal detection task was performed alone. Exposure to CO decreased arousal and interacted with fatigue to produce decreases in performance.

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