Effects of cortical arousal changes due to sleepiness, alcohol & coffeine on EEG/ERP measures of performance and brain function

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This research will examine the effects of several challenges to everyday functioning such as sleepiness, mild intoxication and reaction to risk. Behavioural performance and brain activity will be assessed under conditions of sleep deprivation, alcohol consumption and during a gambling (risky) situtation. In addition, caffeine, a common countermeasure taken to reverse the effects of sleepiness and intoxication will be examined. I will test individuals before and after ingesting enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol to approximately .04 (half the legal limit to drive in many provinces) and/or after approximately 20 hours of wakefulness. I will assess their performance on a variety of tasks while also collecting EEG data (brain electrocortical activity). I will also test the effectiveness (behaviourally and in terms of EEG) of a common countermeasure, caffeine. The individuals in my experiments will receive the equivalent of approximately 2 cups of coffee before being retested to determine if their performance improves, or their brain activity returns to normal levels.