Lower Cortisol Activity is Associated with First-Time Driving while Impaired (original) (raw)
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SALIVARY CORTISOL: A PREDICTOR OF CONVICTIONS FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL?
Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2005
Aims: To examine the relationship between salivary cortisol and frequency of past driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) convictions. Methods: A total of 104 males with previous DUI convictions (from one to eight) and mean age of 44.7 years were assessed on measures characterizing repeat DUI offenders, including sociodemographic information, alcohol use behaviours, biological indices of the organic consequences of chronic abuse, negative consequences of excessive drinking, past DUI conviction history, impulse control, and antisocial behaviour tendencies. Saliva samples were taken approximately every 30 min over a 6 h period during an exhaustive multidimensional assessment protocol, and were then assayed to obtain cortisol responses. Results: Blunted cortisol response, typically observed in alcoholics and in high-risk non-alcoholics, was associated with increased number of past DUI convictions. This association was particularly pronounced in multiple DUI offenders, and was stronger than, and independent of, other measures of alcohol use severity and chronicity commonly used for DUI assessment. Conclusions: Cortisol response may be useful in understanding the mediators underlying repeat DUI offending and the frequent failure of intervention efforts in curbing DUI behaviour.
Blunted cortisol reactivity and risky driving in young offenders - a pilot study
International journal of adolescent medicine and health, 2018
Adolescent risky driving is a significant burden on public health. Young offenders (i.e. under custody and supervision of the criminal justice system) may be particularly vulnerable, but research is scant. Previous work indicated that blunted cortisol reactivity to stress is a marker of risk-taking predisposition, including risky driving. In this study, we hypothesized that young offenders display higher levels of risky driving than a non-offender comparison group, and that cortisol reactivity contributes to the variance in risky driving independent of other associated characteristics (i.e. impulsivity, risk taking, alcohol and drug use). We found that young offenders (n = 20) showed riskier driving in simulation than comparison group (n = 9), and blunted cortisol reactivity was significantly associated with risky driving. The results suggest young offenders are prone to risky driving, and that individual differences in the cortisol stress response may be an explanatory factor.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to stress in male DUI recidivists
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2008
Cortisol is a stress hormone mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and a psychobiological marker of genetic risk for alcoholism and other high-risk behavioural characteristics. In previous work with driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) recidivists, we uncovered a significant inverse relationship between the frequency of past DUI convictions and salivary cortisol, whose strength surpassed those observed between DUI frequency and measures of alcohol abuse and other DUI-related characteristics. This finding emerged using a methodology not specifically contrived to test this relationship. The goals of this follow-up study were to (a) examine if a standardized stress-induction protocol would produce a significant inverse relationship between cortisol response and number of DUI offences; and (b) clarify whether HPA axis dysregulation could be linked to particular DUI-related behavioural correlates, such as alcohol use severity, sensation seeking, and antisocial features. Thirty male DUI recidivists were recruited as well as 11 male non-DUI drivers as a comparison group. Results indicated an inverse relationship between DUI frequency and cortisol response (r(39) = −0.36, p = 0.021), as well as a lower cortisol response in DUI offenders than the comparison group (F(1,39) = 5.71, p = 0.022). Finally, for recidivists, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that experience seeking (R 2 = 0.23, p = 0.008), followed by number of cigarettes smoked daily ( R 2 = 0.12, p = 0.031), combined to explain 35% of the variance in cortisol (F(2,29) = 7.26, p = 0.003). These findings indicate that severe recidivism may have psychobiological underpinnings, and that HPA axis dysregulation appears to be a mechanism common to high-risk behaviours including DUI recidivism, sensation seeking, and cigarette smoking. (T.G. Brown). 30-35% of first-time DUI offenders will recidivate , and these individuals account for much of the DUIrelated morbidity . The research findings to date, stemming primarily from descriptive psychosocial investigations, indicate that recidivists possess several distinguishing characteristics compared to first-time DUI offenders. These include more severe alcohol problems, greater psychosocial dysfunction, poorer emotional adjustment and assertiveness, personality-related traits such as increased hostility, sensation seeking, mania , and antisocial features , and more frequent traffic and non-traffic convictions . At the same time, these findings 0001-4575/$ -see front matter
Higher Crash and Near-Crash Rates in Teenaged Drivers With Lower Cortisol Response
JAMA Pediatrics, 2014
IMPORTANCE Road traffic crashes are one of the leading causes of injury and death among teenagers worldwide. Better understanding of the individual pathways to driving risk may lead to better-targeted intervention in this vulnerable group. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between cortisol, a neurobiological marker of stress regulation linked to risky behavior, and driving risk.
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2009
understanding of DWI re-offending, or recidivism, reduce our ability to practically assess recidivism probability and to match interventions to individual risk profiles. These shortcomings reflect the baffling heterogeneity in the DWI population and the limited focus of much existing DWI recidivism research to psychosocial, psychological and substance use correlates. Approach. This narrative review summarises the evidence for the contribution of neurocognitive and psychobiological mechanisms to DWI behaviour and recidivism. Given the nascent nature of this literature, insight into the putative contribution of these mechanisms to DWI is also drawn from other experimental literatures, particularly those on alcohol use disorders and cognitive and behavioural neuroscience. Key Findings. Alcohol-related neurotoxicity and dysregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and serotonergic systems may underlie certain offender characteristics consistently correlated with heightened DWI risk, persistence and intervention resistance.Their markers are less vulnerable to sources of bias than subjective psychosocial indices and are more far-reaching than alcohol abuse in explaining DWI behaviour and recidivism. Implications. The investigation of neurocognitive and psychobiological mechanisms in DWI research is a promising avenue for discerning clinically meaningful subgroups within the DWI population.This can lead to research and development in alternative assessment and more targeted intervention technologies. Conclusion. Multidimensional research in DWI and recidivism offers novel avenues for increasing road safety. [Brown TG, Ouimet MC, Nadeau L, Gianoulakis C, Lepage M, Tremblay J, Dongier M. From the brain to bad behaviour and back again: Neurocognitive and psychobiological mechanisms of driving while impaired by alcohol. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:406-418]
Acute disinhibiting effects of alcohol as a factor in risky driving behavior
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2008
Automobile crash reports show that up to 40% of fatal crashes in the United States involve alcohol and that younger drivers are over-represented. Alcohol use among young drivers is associated with impulsive and risky driving behaviors, such as speeding, which could contribute to their overrepresentation in alcohol-related crash statistics. Recent laboratory studies show that alcohol increases impulsive behaviors by impairing the drinker's ability to inhibit inappropriate actions and that this effect can be exacerbated in conflict situations where the expression and inhibition of behavior are equally motivating. The present study tested the hypothesis that this response conflict might also intensify the disruptive effects of alcohol on driving performance. Fourteen subjects performed a simulated driving and a cued go/no-go task that measured their inhibitory control. Conflict was motivated in these tasks by providing equal monetary incentives for slow, careful behavior (e.g., slow driving, inhibiting impulses) and for quick, abrupt behavior (fast driving, disinhibition). Subjects were tested under two alcohol doses (0.65 g/kg and a placebo) that were administered twice: when conflict was present and when conflict was absent. Alcohol interacted with conflict to impair inhibitory control and to increase risky and impaired driving behavior on the drive task. Also, individuals whose inhibitory control was most impaired by alcohol displayed the poorest driving performance under the drug. The study demonstrates potentially serious disruptions to driving performance as a function of alcohol intoxication and response conflict, and points to inhibitory control as an important underlying mechanism.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica
ObjectiveIndividual biological predispositions should play a role in risky driving behaviour. Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and neuropeptide S receptor 1 (NPSR1) gene polymorphisms have been identified as markers of impulsivity, alcohol use and excessive risk-taking. We aimed to find out how this knowledge on neurobiology of impulsivity applies to drunk driving and traffic behaviour in general.MethodsWe have longitudinally examined the behaviour of drunk drivers (n = 203) and controls (n = 211) in traffic, in association with their alcohol-related problems, personality measures and the three biomarkers. We analysed differences between the subjects based on whether they had committed driving while impaired by alcohol (DWI) violation in a 10-year time period after recruitment or not and investigated further, what kind of predictive value do the different biomarkers have in committing DWI and other traffic violations and accidents.ResultsTh...
The Association of Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity to Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol
Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 2010
This study examined the association between sensation seeking, impulsivity, and drunk driving. Results showed significant differences in sensation seeking and impulsivity among 160 individuals convicted of impaired or intoxicated driving and individuals who had never been arrested for driving while under the influence/ driving while intoxicated offenses.