Alistair MacLean

M.A., University of Aberdeen, 1965
M.A., Queen's University, 1967
Ph.D., Queen's University, 1969

Research Interests

The principal focus of my present research is the understanding of how sleep loss and sleepiness affects skilled performance such as driving. Our current investigations are using a small driving simulator and subjective, behavioural and physiological assessments of sleepiness to gain a greater theoretical understanding of the relationship between sleepiness and performance which we hope will lead to improvements in our capacity to predict and detect deterioration under real-life conditions.

Selected Publications

Williams, L.R., Davies, D.R., Thiele, K., Davidson, J.R., MacLean, A.W.  Young drivers' perceptions of culpability of sleep-deprived versus drinking drivers.  Journal of Safety Research 2012; 43: 115-122..

Arnedt, J.T., Geddes, M.A.C., MacLean, A.W.  Comparative sensitivity of a simulated driving task to subjective, physiological and other performance measures during prolonged wakefulness.  Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine 2005; 58: 61-71.

MacLean, A.W., Davies, R.T. and Thiele, K.  Sleepiness and driving. Sleep Medicine Reviews 2003; 7: 507-521.

Fitzpatrick, M.F., Alloway, C.E.D., Wakeford, T.M., MacLean, A.W., Munt, P.W. and Day, A.G.  Can patients with obstructive sleep apnea titrate their own continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)?  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine  2003; 167: 716-722.