WordNet

lively attentiveness (同)sharp-sightedness, on the qui vive
a state of readiness to respond; "alerting was indicated by the desynchronization of the EEG" (同)alerting

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出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2014/08/03 01:18:33」(JST)

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Alertness is the state of active attention by high sensory awareness such as being watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency, or being quick to perceive and act. It is related to psychology as well as to physiology. A lack of alertness is a symptom of a number of conditions, including narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, Addison's disease, or sleep deprivation. Pronounced lack of alertness can be graded as an altered level of consciousness. The word is formed from "alert", which comes from the Italian "all'erta" (on the watch, literally, on the height; 1618)

Physiological aspects

People who have to be alert during their jobs, such as air traffic controllers or pilots, often face challenges maintaining their alertness. Research shows that for people "...engaged in attention-intensive and monotonous tasks, retaining a constant level of alertness is rare if not impossible." If people employed in safety-related or transportation jobs have lapses in alertness, this "may lead to severe consequences in occupations ranging from air traffic control to monitoring of nuclear power plants." ^[1]

Drugs used to increase alertness

During the Second World War, US soldiers and aviators were given benzedrine, an amphetamine drug, to increase their alertness during long periods on duty. While air force pilots are able to use the drug to remain awake during combat flights, the use of amphetamines by commercial airline pilots is forbidden. British troops used 72 million amphetamine tablets in the second world war^[2] and the RAF used so many that "Methedrine won the Battle of Britain" according to one report.^[3] American bomber pilots use amphetamines ("go pills") to stay awake during long missions. The Tarnak Farm incident, in which an American F-16 pilot killed several friendly Canadian soldiers on the ground, was blamed by the pilot on his use of amphetamine. A nonjudicial hearing rejected the pilot's claim. Amphetamines are used by college and high-school students as a study and test-taking aid.^[4] Amphetamine increases energy levels, concentration, and motivation, allowing students to study for an extended period of time. These drugs are often acquired through ADHD prescriptions to students and peers, rather than illicitly produced drugs.^[5]

Behavioral ecology

Vigilance is an important trait for animals in order to watch out for predators. Typically a reduction in alertness is observed for animals that live in larger groups. Studies on vigilance have been conducted on various animals including the scaly-breasted Munia.

References

^ http://cnl.salk.edu/~jung/alert.html
^ De Mondenard, Dr Jean-Pierre: Dopage, l'imposture des performances, Chiron, France, 2000
^ Grant, D.N.W.; Air Force, UK, 1944
^ Twohey, Megan (2006-03-25). "Pills become an addictive study aid". JS Online. Archived from the original on 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
^ The Illicit Market for ADHD Prescription Drugs in Queensland (PDF). Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission. April 2002. Retrieved 2008-01-13.

UpToDate Contents

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1. 成人における昏迷および昏睡 stupor and coma in adults
2. 過度な日中の眠気を有する患者へのアプローチ approach to the patient with excessive daytime sleepiness
3. 挿管の判断 the decision to intubate
4. 特発性過眠症 idiopathic hypersomnia
5. カフェインおよびカフェイン含有飲料の利益とリスク benefits and risks of caffeine and caffeinated beverages

English Journal

The post illumination pupil response is reduced in seasonal affective disorder.

Roecklein K, Wong P, Ernecoff N, Miller M, Donofry S, Kamarck M, Wood-Vasey WM, Franzen P.SourceDepartment of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 201S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. Electronic address: kroecklein@gmail.com.
Psychiatry research.Psychiatry Res.2013 Nov 30;210(1):150-8. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.05.023. Epub 2013 Jul 1.
Individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may have a decreased retinal sensitivity in the non-image forming light-input pathway. We examined the post illumination pupil response (PIPR) among individuals with SAD and healthy controls to identify possible differences in the melanopsin signali
PMID 23809464

The roles of superficial amygdala and auditory cortex in music-evoked fear and joy.

Koelsch S, Skouras S, Fritz T, Herrera P, Bonhage C, Küssner MB, Jacobs AM.SourceCluster Languages of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. koelsch@cbs.mpg.de
NeuroImage.Neuroimage.2013 Nov 1;81:49-60. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.008. Epub 2013 May 17.
This study investigates neural correlates of music-evoked fear and joy with fMRI. Studies on neural correlates of music-evoked fear are scant, and there are only a few studies on neural correlates of joy in general. Eighteen individuals listened to excerpts of fear-evoking, joy-evoking, as well as n
PMID 23684870

Fasting in mood disorders: neurobiology and effectiveness. A review of the literature.

Fond G, Macgregor A, Leboyer M, Michalsen A.SourceINSERM U1061, Université Montpellier 1, Hôpital la Colombière, CHU Montpellier F-34000, France; INSERM U955, University Paris-Est, FondaMental Fondation, Fondation de Coopération Scientifique, AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Mondor, 40, Rue de Mesly, Creteil F-94000, France. Electronic address: guillaume.fond@gmail.com.
Psychiatry research.Psychiatry Res.2013 Oct 30;209(3):253-8. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.12.018. Epub 2013 Jan 15.
Clinicians have found that fasting was frequently accompanied by an increased level of vigilance and a mood improvement, a subjective feeling of well-being, and sometimes of euphoria. Therapeutic fasting, following an established protocol, is safe and well tolerated. We aim in this article to explor
PMID 23332541

The effects of rest breaks, work shift start time, and sleep on the onset of severe injury among workers in the People's Republic of China.

Lombardi DA, Jin K, Courtney TK, Arlinghaus A, Folkard S, Liang Y, Perry MJ.SourceCenter for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748, USA. david.lombardi@libertymutual.com.
Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.Scand J Work Environ Health.2013 Oct 25. pii: 3395. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3395. [Epub ahead of print]
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the duration and timing of rest breaks on traumatic injury risk across a shift in a relatively large sample of hospitalized workers with severe work-related hand injury in the People's Republic of China (PRC).METHODS: Hospital
PMID 24162622