Effects of Chemical Protective Clothing, Exercise, and Diphenhydramine on Cognitive Performance During Sleep Deprivation

Abstract : The cognitive performance effects of some stressors experienced in military training and combat were determined in a field experiment. The effects of wearing chemical protective clothing (CPC) at Mission-Oriented Protective Posture Level IV, walking 18 to 24 miles (29-39 km) while carrying a heavy backpack, and taking 50-mg oral doses every 6 hr. of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) were investigated on 72 Marines during a 36-hr. sleep deprivation double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. We administered tests that measured reaction time, spatial ability, memory, and logical reasoning. The results suggest that wearing CPC for an 11-hr period or prolonged engagement in moderate exercise produces general cognitive impairment in sleep-deprived participants. However, after repeated dosing, taking diphenhydramine has little cognitive effect. These results suggest that, if a job is near the limit of a person's cognitive abilities, performance may suffer if the person is sleep deprived and required to wear CPC or engage in prolonged, moderate exercise.

[1]  Richard F. Johnson,et al.  Rifle Marksmanship with Three types of Combat Clothing , 1990 .

[2]  J L Kobrick,et al.  Effect of wearing chemical protective clothing in the heat on signal detection over the visual field. , 1986, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[3]  Geoffrey R. Loftus,et al.  A picture is worth a thousandp values: On the irrelevance of hypothesis testing in the microcomputer age , 1993 .

[4]  S. Rump,et al.  [Effects of respirators on some physiological reactions to physical effort]. , 1962, Acta physiologica Polonica.

[5]  R. Calvert,et al.  The effect of diphenhydramine alone and in combination with ethanol on histamine skin response and mental performance , 1977, European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

[6]  N. R. Ellis,et al.  Effects of exercise on cognitive processes: A review. , 1986 .

[7]  P B Raven,et al.  The physiological consequences of wearing industrial respirators: a review. , 1979, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[8]  G. Patrick,et al.  Studies from the psychological laboratory of the University of Iowa: On the effects of loss of sleep , 1896 .

[9]  Geoffrey R. Loftus,et al.  On the Tyranny of Hypothesis Testing in the Social Sciences , 1991 .

[10]  S ROSS,et al.  Systemic fatigue and perceptual organization. , 1954, The American journal of psychology.

[11]  J A Gliner,et al.  Visual evoked potentials and signal detection following a marathon race. , 1979, Medicine and science in sports.

[12]  S. Xenakis,et al.  Psychological reactions during chemical warfare training. , 1983, Military medicine.

[13]  H. L. Williams,et al.  Impaired performance with acute sleep loss. , 1959 .

[14]  F. N. Craig,et al.  Effects of respiratory equipment on endurance in hard work. , 1977, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[15]  R. Wilkinson.  Interaction of lack of sleep with knowledge of results, repeated testing, and individual differences. , 1961, Journal of experimental psychology.

[16]  W H McAlister,et al.  A comparison of the visual field restrictions with the M17 series protective mask and the MCU-2/P chemical-biological mask. , 1993, Military medicine.

[17]  H. L. Snyder,et al.  The effects of Benadryl and Hismanal on psychomotor performance and perceived performance. , 1993, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[18]  O. Parsons,et al.  The role of time in neuropsychological performance: Investigation and application in an alcoholic population , 1990 .

[19]  J. K. Walsh,et al.  Sleepiness and performance during three-day administration of cetirizine or diphenhydramine. , 1994, The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology.

[20]  Frank L. Schmidt,et al.  What do data really mean? Research findings, meta-analysis, and cumulative knowledge in psychology. , 1992 .

[22]  W P Morgan,et al.  Psychological problems associated with the wearing of industrial respirators: a review. , 1983, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[23]  Y Epstein,et al.  Effects of heat-exercise stress, NBC clothing, and pyridostigmine treatment on psychomotor and subjective measures of performance. , 1992, Military medicine.

[24]  C. Hignite,et al.  Correlation between plasma diphenhydramine level and sedative and antihistamine effects , 1978 .

[25]  T. Roth,et al.  Sedative effects of antihistamines. , 1987, The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology.

[26]  F. Gengo,et al.  Quantitative effects of cetirizine and diphenhydramine on mental performance measured using an automobile driving simulator. , 1990, Annals of allergy.

[27]  F. N. Craig,et al.  Exhausting work limited by external resistance and inhalation of carbon dioxide. , 1970, Journal of applied physiology.

[28]  D R Thorne,et al.  The Walter Reed performance assessment battery. , 1985, Neurobehavioral toxicology and teratology.

[29]  W P Morgan,et al.  Prediction of distress for individuals wearing industrial respirators. , 1985, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[30]  N. R. Ellis,et al.  The immediate effects of strenuous exercise on free-recall memory. , 1987, Ergonomics.

[31]  W S Myles,et al.  Effects of prolonged sleep deprivation, with and without chronic physical exercise, on mood and performance. , 1985, Psychophysiology.

[32]  K. Rickels,et al.  Diphenhydramine in Insomniac Family Practice Patients: A Double‐Blind Study , 1983, Journal of clinical pharmacology.

[33]  M Cammermeyer,et al.  Biopsychological responses of medical unit personnel wearing chemical defense ensemble in a simulated chemical warfare environment. , 1985, Military medicine.

[34]  A. G. Bills.  Blocking: a new principle of mental fatigue. , 1931 .