Driven to dangerous distraction

Distractions form an increasing part of modern life, and pharmacists are used to dealing with interruptions competing for their attention while they work.

But studies have shown that such multitasking causes a reduction in concentration, and cognitive psychologists have carried out research to study the effect of constant multitasking at work, while driving or when simply walking along a pavement.

The dangers of driving when distracted have been recognised, with legislation introduced to restrict the use of mobile telephones, and there have also been calls, particularly in the US, to outlaw the use of electronic devices by pedestrians while they cross the road.

Recent research at Western Washington University at Bellingham, Washington, involved a clown unicycling around a campus square. He was noticed by 50 per cent of students crossing the square, but that figure halved for those using mobile telephones.

This “inattention blindness” does not seem to affect people walking in pairs talking to each other, only those using a mobile telephone. It is thought that telephone conversations use not just the brain’s auditory resources but also its visual functions, as though the listener is creating visual images of the conversation.

Using personal stereos creates similar problems. Studies have shown that pedestrians using electronic devices tend to select smaller gaps in traffic when crossing the road, and are more likely to walk out in front of approaching cars.

Distraction has been used as a form of therapy in depressed patients at risk of suicide, to occupy the mind with some other stimulus. It is also used in the form of video games in children undergoing painful chemotherapy.

A controlled study at Baltimore University School of Medicine in Maryland showed that tapes playing natural sounds before, during and after flexible bronchoscopy significantly reduced pain. Although the exact mechanism is still being investigated, researchers have suggested that the strategy be considered in addition to standard analgesia.