NOVEMBER 24, 2009-- Poor sleep can be dangerous for those whose jobs require quick reactions, according to a study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.

The researchers found a link between sleep deprivation and information-integration, a process that relies heavily on instantaneous, gut-feeling decisions.    

Sleep-deprived people may put themselves and others at risk when they need to make split-second decisions, according to the study, in which 49 U.S. military cadets participated.    

The cadets performed information-integration tasks twice -- once when they were well-rested and once while they were sleep-deprived.

The results showed that moderate sleep deprivation can cause an overall immediate loss of information-integration thought processes, according to the study published in the Nov. issue of Sleep.    

Accuracy on the information-integration tasks declined by 2.4 percent (73.1 percent to 70.7 percent) when cadets were sleep-deprived, and improved by 4.3 percent (74 percent to 78.3 percent) when they were well- rested, the researchers found.    

"It's important to understand this domain of procedural learning because information-integration -- the fast and accurate strategy -- is critical in situations when soldiers need to make split-second decisions on whether a potential target is an enemy soldier, a civilian or one of their own," said Todd Maddox, a psychology professor who took part in the study.   

The ability to make split-second decisions was crucial in a number of other high-pressure professions, including firefighters and police officers, the study noted.(XINHUA)