Effects of alcohol on event-related brain potentials produced by viewing a simulated traffic signal

The P-300 event-related brain potential was monitored during simulated traffic signal tasks for 10 subjects who were tested at three levels of mean blood alcohol content: 0.00%, 0.06%, and 0.13%. A significant increase in latency occurred for the 0.13% level indicating that an increased mental processing time was required to determine if a red or a green light had been presented.