Effects of Alcohol on Peripheral Vision as a Function of Attention

Abstract

Twelve males were tested under a control and two alcohol treatments in a perimeter apparatus used for testing peripheral vision. They were required to fixate either on a steady-state central fixation light and detect peripheral lights, or to count blinks produced by the cessations of the fixation light and to detect peripheral lights. Alcohol produced an impairment of peripheral vision only under conditions where the central fixation light blinked and thus required information processing. No performance decrement occurred when the central light did not blink. The results suggest that alcohol interferes with central information processing rather than peripheral sensory mechanisms.