You are going home one night when you drive through a sobriety checkpoint. The policeman asks you to get out of the car, holds one finger up in front of your face, and asks you to follow his finger with your eyes only. What is he doing?
A) He is checking to see if your frontal lobe is functioning properly, which allows you to initiate movement.
B) He is checking to see if your caudate nucleus, which coordinates your movements, has been affected by alcohol.
C) He is checking to see if your cerebellum is functioning properly because the cerebellum is one of the first areas to be affected by alcohol.
D) He is checking to see if you will follow directions because if you are drunk you might not.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The officer is checking to see if your cerebellum is functioning properly because the cerebellum is one of the first areas to be affected by alcohol. This test is called the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test and is commonly used by officers to determine if an individual is driving under the influence of alcohol. HGN refers to an involuntary jerking of the eyes as they gaze to the side. This jerking becomes more pronounced as a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) increases.

You Are Going Home One Night When You Drive Through