A new test to measure attentional bias and cognitive disinhibition in drinkers, based on the Hayling task

AIMS

To generate and pilot unfinished sentences, based on the Hayling Task of disinhibition, which could be completed with alcohol or non-alcohol words. To determine whether drinking habits influenced responses on the new sentences, which may advance understanding of the cognitive processes underlying alcohol-related behaviours.

METHODS

Three phases: I-Generation of appropriate sentences (via email correspondence); II-Sentence completion to establish proportion of alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related responses; III-A Hayling-style task using the sentences (laboratory-based). During the Hayling task, sentences were completed with the first word that came to mind (initiation task), and with a word that did not make semantic sense (inhibition task). In Phase III, the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT) was also completed to determine whether drinking habits were related to responses.

RESULTS

Fifteen sentences were generated and tested. Compared with low hazardous drinkers, higher hazardous drinkers gave more alcohol-related responses; persisted in giving alcohol responses in the inhibition task; and were slower to make non-alcohol-related responses. A positive correlation was found between AUDIT score and number of alcohol-related responses.

CONCLUSIONS

A new alcohol-related sentence-completion tool, based upon the Hayling disinhibition task, was developed and piloted. Responses on the task were associated with measures of alcohol use disorders. The task can be used in research investigating the processes underlying the acute and chronic effects of alcohol, such as attentional bias and disinhibition. In future, the task could be used in conjunction with non-alcohol-related sentence completion tasks to investigate general and alcohol-specific processes of disinhibition.

Comparison of event rates among three MONICA centres

Data from three MONICA centres in Auckland (New Zealand) and Newcastle and Perth (Australia) are used to explore some of the issues involved in comparing event rates and case fatality among MONICA centres. Auckland and Newcastle follow the "hot pursuit" method of identifying and interviewing patients while they are still in hospital. Perth follows the "cold pursuit" method, in which patients are identified by search of computerized hospital records after discharge and all data are abstracted retrospectively from case notes. Fatal cases are identified by the same method in the three centres. The distribution of events by MONICA diagnostic classification varied among centres, with Perth having the highest proportion of definite myocardial infarction events and the lowest proportion of possible myocardial infarction events. These differences appear to be due to the different methods of event ascertainment and data collection, and to variations in post mortem rates between centres. For comparisons among these three centres, the categories of non-fatal definite myocardial infarction and of all coronary heart disease deaths (that is those in the MONICA categories fatal definite myocardial infarction, fatal possible myocardial infarction, and fatal cases with insufficient data) appear to be the most useful.

Effect of nitrogen narcosis on free recall and recognition memory in open water

RATIONALE

Previous research has demonstrated that nitrogen narcosis causes decrements in memory performance but the precise aspect of memory impaired is not clear in the literature.

OBJECTIVE

The present research investigated the effect of narcosis on free recall and recognition memory by appling signal detection theory (SDT) to the analysis of the recognition data.

METHODS

Using a repeated measures design, the free recall and recognition memory of 20 divers was tested in four learning-recall conditions: shallow-shallow (SS), deep-deep (DD), shallow-deep (SD) and deep-shallow (DS). The data was collected in the ocean offDahab, Egypt with shallow water representing a depth of 0-10m (33ft) and deep water 37-40m (121-131ft). The presence of narcosis was independently indexed with subjective ratings.

RESULTS

In comparison to the SS condition there was a clear impairment of free recall in the DD and DS conditions, but not the SD condition. Recognition memory remained unaffected by narcosis.

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded narcosis-induced memory decrements cannot be explained as simply an impairment of input into long term memory or of self-guided search and it is suggested instead that narcosis acts to reduce the level of processing/encoding of information.

Long term survival after evidence based treatment of acute myocardial infarction and revascularisation: follow-up of population based Perth MONICA cohort, 1984-2005

OBJECTIVE

To examine trends in long term survival in patients alive 28 days after myocardial infarction and the impact of evidence based medical treatments and coronary revascularisation during or near the event.

DESIGN

Population based cohort with 12 year follow-up.

SETTING

Perth, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

4451 consecutive patients with a definite acute myocardial infarction according to the World Health Organization MONICA (monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease) criteria admitted to hospital during 1984-7, 1988-90, and 1991-3.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

All cause mortality identified from official mortality records and the hospital morbidity data, with death from cardiovascular disease as a secondary end point.

RESULTS

In the 1991-3 cohort, 28 day survivors of acute myocardial infarction had a 7.6% absolute event reduction (95% confidence interval 4% to 11%) or a 28% lower relative risk reduction (16% to 38%), unadjusted for risk of death, over 12 years after the incident admission compared with the 1984-7 cohort, similar to the survival of the 1988-90 cohort. The improved survival for the 1991-3 cohort persisted after adjustment for demographic factors, coronary risk factors, severity of disease, and event complications with an adjusted relative risk reduction of 26% (14% to 37%), but this was not apparent after further adjustment for medical treatments in hospital and coronary revascularisation procedures within 12 months of the incident myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSION

The improving trends in 12 year survival after a definite acute myocardial infarction are associated with progressive use of evidence based treatments during the initial admission to hospital and in the 12 months after the event. These changes in the management of acute myocardial infarction are probably contributing to the continuing decline in mortality from coronary heart disease in Australia.