TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of alcohol consumption and alcohol susceptibility on cognition
T2 - A psychophysiological examination
AU - Bartholow, Bruce D.
AU - Pearson, Melanie
AU - Sher, Kenneth J.
AU - Wieman, Leighann C.
AU - Fabiani, Monica
AU - Gratton, Gabriele
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by Grants P50 AA11998 and R01 AA7231 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The authors wish to thank Susan E. O'Neill, Phillip K. Wood, Joseph Hopfinger and Kristina M. Jackson for their insightful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript, and Rebecca Schapeler for her assistance with data collection. Portions of this research were presented at the 2001 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the 2001 annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research.
PY - 2003/10
Y1 - 2003/10
N2 - The present study sought to examine acute effects of alcohol on cognitive processing and performance within the context of two prominent theories of alcohol's effects; namely, that alcohol restricts the focus of attention (e.g. Steele and Josephs, 1990. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 196-205) and that alcohol impairs response inhibition (e.g. Fillmore and Vogel-Sprott, 1999. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 7, 49-55; Fillmore and Vogel-Sprott, 2000. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 61, 239-246). Forty-five participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo level of alcohol (0.04 g/kg), a moderate dose (0.40 g/kg), or a higher dose (0.80 g/kg). Brain electrical activity (ERPs) and behavioral responses (reaction time and accuracy) were measured while participants performed a modified flanker task, in which a target letter was flanked by response-compatible or response-incompatible letters. Analyses of behavioral data showed that alcohol increased response competition in accuracy but not response times, suggesting that alcohol influences response selection more than attentional processes per se. This finding is in-line with predictions derived from the response inhibition model. ERP latency data provided mixed support for both models. ERP amplitude data showed that the high dose of alcohol primarily influenced a mostly frontal negativity in the ERP, present on both correct and incorrect response trials. Differences in self-reported susceptibility to alcohol were most evident in the amplitude of the P3 component. Findings are discussed in terms of the differential effects of acute dose and susceptibility on information processing.
AB - The present study sought to examine acute effects of alcohol on cognitive processing and performance within the context of two prominent theories of alcohol's effects; namely, that alcohol restricts the focus of attention (e.g. Steele and Josephs, 1990. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 196-205) and that alcohol impairs response inhibition (e.g. Fillmore and Vogel-Sprott, 1999. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 7, 49-55; Fillmore and Vogel-Sprott, 2000. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 61, 239-246). Forty-five participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo level of alcohol (0.04 g/kg), a moderate dose (0.40 g/kg), or a higher dose (0.80 g/kg). Brain electrical activity (ERPs) and behavioral responses (reaction time and accuracy) were measured while participants performed a modified flanker task, in which a target letter was flanked by response-compatible or response-incompatible letters. Analyses of behavioral data showed that alcohol increased response competition in accuracy but not response times, suggesting that alcohol influences response selection more than attentional processes per se. This finding is in-line with predictions derived from the response inhibition model. ERP latency data provided mixed support for both models. ERP amplitude data showed that the high dose of alcohol primarily influenced a mostly frontal negativity in the ERP, present on both correct and incorrect response trials. Differences in self-reported susceptibility to alcohol were most evident in the amplitude of the P3 component. Findings are discussed in terms of the differential effects of acute dose and susceptibility on information processing.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Alcohol susceptibility
KW - Cognition
KW - ERPs
KW - Response inhibition
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U2 - 10.1016/S0301-0511(03)00108-X
DO - 10.1016/S0301-0511(03)00108-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 14602361
AN - SCOPUS:0242384223
SN - 0301-0511
VL - 64
SP - 167
EP - 190
JO - Biological Psychology
JF - Biological Psychology
IS - 1-2
ER -