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Souza TP, Franscescon F, Stefanello FV, Müller TE, Santos LW, Rosemberg DB. Acute effects of ethanol on behavioral responses of male and female zebrafish in the open field test with the influence of a non-familiar object. Behav Processes 2021; 191:104474. [PMID: 34371127 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In this report, we investigate whether the acute effects of different ethanol (EtOH) concentrations are sex-dependent in zebrafish subjected to the open field test (OFT) with the influence of a non-familiar object. Male and female zebrafish were separated into four groups and exposed to EtOH (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, or 1.0% v/v) for 1 h. Fish were tested individually in the OFT, in which tank was divided into three areas: periphery, intermediate, and center area. An object (black sphere; diameter: 1 cm) was placed in the center of the tank and behaviors were recorded for 5 min. At the baseline, females had a distinct exploratory activity and interaction pattern with the object, reflecting a more anxious and shyer behavior in relation to males. Females exposed to 0.5% EtOH performed more rapid investigation to the object than males, while 1.0% EtOH reduced locomotion in both sexes and increased immobility only in males. Principal component analyses revealed that anxiety-like behaviors, exploratory activity, and locomotion were the components that most accounted for total variances. Collectively, our novel findings show the existence of a sex-dependent effect in the zebrafish models acutely exposed to EtOH tested in the OFT with a non-familiar object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiele P Souza
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Francini Franscescon
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Flavia V Stefanello
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Talise E Müller
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Laura W Santos
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA, 70458, USA.
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Opitz A, Ghin F, Hubert J, Verster JC, Beste C, Stock AK. Alcohol intoxication, but not hangover, differentially impairs learning and automatization of complex motor response sequences. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12539. [PMID: 34131177 PMCID: PMC8206163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90803-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral automatization usually makes us more efficient and less error-prone, but may also foster dysfunctional behavior like alcohol abuse. Yet, it has remained unclear whether alcohol itself causes the shift from controlled to habitual behavior commonly observed in alcohol use disorder (AUD). We thus investigated how the acute and post-acute effects of binge drinking affect the automatization of motor response sequences and the execution of automated vs. controlled motor response sequences. N = 70 healthy young men performed a newly developed automatization paradigm once sober and once after binge drinking (half of them intoxicated and half of them hungover). While we found no significant effects of alcohol hangover, acute intoxication (~ 1.2 ‰) had two dissociable effects: Firstly, it impaired the automatization of complex motor response sequence execution. Secondly, it eliminated learning effects in response selection and pre-motor planning processes. The results suggest that alcohol hangover did not affect controlled or automated processes, and disprove the assumption that alcohol intoxication generally spares or facilitates motor response sequence automatization. As these effects could be specific to the investigated explicit learning context, acute intoxication might potentially still improve the execution of pre-existing automatisms and/or the implicit acquisition of motor response sequence automatisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Opitz
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Filippo Ghin
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Hubert
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Joris C. Verster
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.1027.40000 0004 0409 2862Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christian Beste
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany ,grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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3
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Hone LSE, Scofield JE, Bartholow BD, Geary DC. Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 18:1474704920954445. [PMID: 33078619 PMCID: PMC8202039 DOI: 10.1177/1474704920954445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary theory suggests that commonly found sex differences are largest in healthy populations and smaller in populations that have been exposed to stressors. We tested this idea in the context of men’s typical advantage (vs. women) in visuospatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation) and women’s typical advantage (vs. men) in social-cognitive (e.g., facial-expression decoding) abilities, as related to frequent binge drinking. Four hundred nineteen undergraduates classified as frequent or infrequent binge drinkers were assessed in these domains. Trial-level multilevel models were used to test a priori Sex × Group (binge drinking) interactions for visuospatial and social-cognitive tasks. Among infrequent binge drinkers, men’s typical advantage in visuospatial abilities and women’s typical advantage in social-cognitive abilities was confirmed. Among frequent binge drinkers, men’s advantage was reduced for one visuospatial task (Δ d = 0.29) and eliminated for another (Δ d = 0.75), and women’s advantage on the social-cognitive task was eliminated (Δ d = 0.12). Males who frequently engaged in extreme binges had exaggerated deficits on one of the visuospatial tasks, as did their female counterparts on the social-cognitive task. The results suggest sex-specific vulnerabilities associated with recent, frequent binge drinking, and support an evolutionary approach to the study of these vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana S E Hone
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - John E Scofield
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Bruce D Bartholow
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Missouri Center for Addiction Research and Engagement, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - David C Geary
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Turco CV, Arsalan SO, Nelson AJ. The Influence of Recreational Substance Use in TMS Research. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E751. [PMID: 33080965 PMCID: PMC7603156 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10100751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approaches are widely used to study cortical and corticospinal function. However, responses to TMS are subject to significant intra-and inter-individual variability. Acute and chronic exposure to recreational substances alters the excitability of the sensorimotor system and may contribute to the variability in TMS outcome measures. The increasing prevalence of recreational substance use poses a significant challenge for executing TMS studies, but there is a lack of clarity regarding the influence of these substances on sensorimotor function. (2) Methods: The literature investigating the influence of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and cannabis on TMS outcome measures of corticospinal, intracortical and interhemispheric excitability was reviewed. (3) Results: Both acute and chronic use of recreational substances modulates TMS measures of excitability. Despite the abundance of research in this field, we identify knowledge gaps that should be addressed in future studies to better understand the influence of these substances on TMS outcomes. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the need for TMS studies to take into consideration the history of participant substance use and to control for acute substance use prior to testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aimee J. Nelson
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; (C.V.T.); (S.O.A.)
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van Lawick van Pabst AE, Devenney LE, Verster JC. Sex Differences in the Presence and Severity of Alcohol Hangover Symptoms. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8060867. [PMID: 31213020 PMCID: PMC6617014 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8060867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated significant sex differences in alcohol intoxication effects. In contrast, the majority of studies on the alcohol hangover phase did not investigate sex differences. Therefore, the current study examined possible sex differences in the presence and severity of alcohol hangover symptoms. Data from n = 2446 Dutch students (male = 50.7%, female = 49.3%) were analyzed. They reported the presence and severity of 22 hangover symptoms experienced after their past month heaviest drinking occasion. Subjects were categorized according to their estimated peak blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) and presence and severity of the hangover symptoms were compared between men and women. In the lowest eBAC group (0% ≤ eBAC < 0.08%), no significant sex differences were found. In the subsequent eBAC group (0.08% ≤ eBAC < 0.11%), severity of nausea was significantly higher in women than in men. In the third eBAC group (0.11% ≤ eBAC < 0.2%), women reported higher severity scores on nausea, tiredness, weakness, and dizziness than men. Men reported the presence of confusion significantly more often than women, and women reported the presence of shivering significantly more often than men. In the fourth eBAC group (0.2% ≤ eBAC < 0.3%), women reported higher severity scores on nausea and tiredness than men. In the highest eBAC group (0.3% ≤ eBAC < 0.4%), no significant sex differences were found. In conclusion, across the eBAC groups, severity scores of nausea and tiredness were higher in women than in men. However, albeit statistically significant, the observed sex differences in presence and severity of hangover symptoms were of small magnitude, and therefore, have little clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lydia E Devenney
- School of Psychology, Life and Health sciences Ulster University, BT52 1SA Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
| | - Joris C Verster
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia.
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Jünger E, Javadi AH, Wiers CE, Sommer C, Garbusow M, Bernhardt N, Kuitunen-Paul S, Smolka MN, Zimmermann US. Acute alcohol effects on explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol in socially drinking adolescents. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:893-905. [PMID: 28675116 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117691454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-related cues can evoke explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol. Concerning the links between explicit and implicit motivation, there are mixed findings. Therefore, we investigated both concepts in 51 healthy 18- to 19-year-old males, who are less affected by neuropsychological deficits in decision-making that are attributed to previous alcohol exposure than older participants. In a randomized crossover design, adolescents were infused with either alcohol or placebo. Self-ratings of alcohol desire, thirst, well-being and alcohol effects comprised our explicit measures of motivation. To measure implicit motivation, we used money and drink stimuli in a Pavlovian conditioning (Pc) task and an Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Alcohol administration increased explicit motivation to drink alcohol, reduced Pc choices of alcoholic drink-conditioned stimuli, but had no effect on the AAT. This combination of results might be explained by differences between goal-directed and habitual behavior or a temporary reduction in rewarding outcome expectancies. Further, there was no association between our measures of motivation to drink alcohol, indicating that both self-reported motivation to drink and implicit approach tendencies may independently contribute to adolescents' actual alcohol intake. Correlations between Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores and our measures of motivation to drink alcohol suggest that interventions should target high-risk adolescents after alcohol intake. Clinical trials: Project 4: Acute Effects of Alcohol on Learning and Habitization in Healthy Young Adults (LeAD_P4); NCT01858818; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01858818.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Jünger
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Corinde E Wiers
- 3 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christian Sommer
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Garbusow
- 4 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadine Bernhardt
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sören Kuitunen-Paul
- 5 Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich S Zimmermann
- 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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7
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Friedman TW, Robinson SR, Yelland GW. Impaired perceptual judgment at low blood alcohol concentrations. Alcohol 2011; 45:711-8. [PMID: 21145695 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2010.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2010] [Revised: 09/22/2010] [Accepted: 10/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Males and females show different patterns of cognitive impairment when blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are high. To investigate whether gender differences persist at low BACs, cognitive impairment was tested in 21 participants (11 female, 10 male) using a brief computerized perceptual judgment task that provides error rate and response time data. Participants consumed a measured dose of alcohol (average peak BAC: females: 0.052 g/100 mL, males: 0.055 g/100 mL), and were tested at four time points spanning both the rising and falling limbs of the BAC curve, in addition to a prealcohol time point. Comparisons were made against performance of these same participants at equivalent time points in an alcohol-free control condition. Males and females displayed a trend toward slower responses and more errors, even when mildly intoxicated. These data indicate that cognitive function can be impaired at BACs that are below the legal limit for driving in most countries.
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8
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Sanz-Martin A, Guevara MÁ, Amezcua C, Santana G, Hernández-González M. Effects of red wine on the electrical activity and functional coupling between prefrontal–parietal cortices in young men. Appetite 2011; 57:84-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2010] [Revised: 03/23/2011] [Accepted: 04/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Effects of acute alcohol intoxication on verbal memory in young men as a function of time of day. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:91-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2010] [Revised: 10/08/2010] [Accepted: 10/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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11
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Chin VS, Van Skike CE, Matthews DB. Effects of ethanol on hippocampal function during adolescence: a look at the past and thoughts on the future. Alcohol 2010; 44:3-14. [PMID: 20113870 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2009.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2009] [Revised: 09/14/2009] [Accepted: 10/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It has been demonstrated by several laboratories that ethanol, both acute and chronic, produces effects that are age dependent. Specifically, adolescent rats are less sensitive to the hypnotic and motor-impairing effects of ethanol but are more sensitive to the hypothermic effects of the drug. However, the results on hippocampal function are not as clear. For example, there have been mixed findings regarding adolescent sensitivity of hippocampal-dependent (spatial) memory in response to ethanol. The current review explores the present state of the field as it relates to ethanol's effects in the hippocampus, particularly as it relates to spatial memory. In addition, we review potential neurobiological mechanisms that might underlie the age-dependent effects of ethanol in the hippocampus. Finally, future directions are proposed that will advance the state of the field as it relates to ethanol's effect during this developmental period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien S Chin
- Department of Psychology, Baylor University Additions Research Consortium, Waco, TX, USA
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12
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Miller MA, Weafer J, Fillmore MT. Gender differences in alcohol impairment of simulated driving performance and driving-related skills. Alcohol Alcohol 2009; 44:586-93. [PMID: 19786725 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agp051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Considerable laboratory research indicates that moderate doses of alcohol impair a broad range of skilled activities related to driving performance in young adults. Although laboratory studies show that the intensity of impairment is generally dependent on the blood alcohol concentration, some reviews of this literature suggest that women might be more sensitive to the impairing effects of alcohol than men. The present study tested this hypothesis. METHODS Drawing on data from previous experiments in our laboratory, we compared men and women in terms of the degree to which a challenge dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) impaired their simulated driving performance and measures of three separate behavioral and cognitive functions important to driving performance: motor coordination, speed of information processing and information-processing capacity. RESULTS Alcohol significantly impaired all aspects of performance. Moreover, women displayed greater impairment than men on all behavioral tests and also reported higher levels of subjective intoxication compared with men. CONCLUSIONS Both biological and social-cultural factors have been implicated in gender differences in the behavioral responses to alcohol. The current evidence of heightened sensitivity to alcohol in women highlights the need for better understanding the biological and environmental factors underlying this gender difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-044, USA
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13
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Liu N, Li B, Wilson FAW, Ma Y, Hu X. Gender effect on the right-left discrimination task in a sample of heroin-dependent patients. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 181:735-40. [PMID: 15986195 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0031-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2004] [Accepted: 04/11/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Discriminating right from left is an everyday cognitive ability. Repeated exposure to certain drugs, such as heroin, can produce poor performance on many cognitive tasks. However, it is yet unclear whether drug abuse impairs the ability of right-left discrimination. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study is to examine whether the spatial ability measured by the right-left discrimination task can be affected by heroin abuse and whether such drug effect, if it exists, is gender related. METHODS A paper-and-pen test was used. The test consists of line drawings of a person with no arm, one arm, or both arms crossing the vertical body axis of the figure. The line drawings are viewed from the back, from the front, or randomly alternating between the back and front drawings. The subjects' task is to mark which is the right or left hand in the figure as fast as possible. RESULTS A main finding in this study was that the ability to discriminate between left and right in visual space was impaired in heroin-dependent patients. Especially, heroin-dependent females performed poorer than control females in all conditions but heroin-dependent males only performed poorly in part of conditions. CONCLUSIONS Recent heroin abuse impairs the ability of right-left discrimination and such impairment is gender related: heroin-dependent females demonstrated greater performance deficits than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, People's Republic of China
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Calhoun VD, Carvalho K, Astur R, Pearlson GD. Using Virtual Reality to Study Alcohol Intoxication Effects on the Neural Correlates of Simulated Driving. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2005; 30:285-306. [PMID: 16167192 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-005-6384-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The use of virtual reality in the form of simulated tasks can provide a realistic environment in which to study complex naturalistic behaviors. Many of the behavioral effects of alcohol intoxication are well known, but there is relatively little imaging evidence examining how alcohol exposure might transiently modulate brain function, especially in the context of task performance. In this review, we provide a brief synopsis of previous work using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the neural correlates of alcohol intoxication. We describe in detail two studies from our published work, the first involving a visual perception paradigm, and the second involving virtual reality through a naturalistic behavior; simulated driving. Participants received single-blind individualized doses of beverage alcohol designed to produce blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04 and 0.08 or placebo. Subjects were fMRI scanned after training to asymptote performance. In both studies we found specific circuits that were differentially modulated by alcohol, we revealed both global and local effects of alcohol, and we examined relationships between behavior, brain function, and alcohol blood levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- V D Calhoun
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, 200 Retreat Ave., Hartford, Connecticut 06106, USA.
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15
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Nyberg S, Wahlström G, Bäckström T, Poromaa IS. No difference in responsiveness to a low dose of alcohol between healthy women and men. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2005; 78:603-10. [PMID: 15251269 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2004.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2004] [Revised: 03/23/2004] [Accepted: 03/29/2004] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine gender-related differences in alcohol responsiveness by comparing the effect of a low-dose intravenous alcohol infusion upon saccadic eye movements, self-rated sedation and intoxication scores. The functional sensitivity to a low dose of alcohol in 12 healthy women and 12 healthy men was evaluated by comparing the effects of an intravenous alcohol infusion on a number of saccadic eye movement measures, including saccadic eye velocity (SEV), saccade latency, saccade accuracy, saccade deceleration and self-rated levels of intoxication and sedation. The infusion of a low dose of alcohol induced a decrease in SEV and increased saccade deceleration and self-rated scores of intoxication in both males and females. Saccade accuracy was also significantly deteriorated by alcohol in both groups. The alcohol infusion did not induce any main gender-related differences in the saccade or visual analogue scale measurements. According to the findings of the present study, no gender differences in the responsiveness to a low-dose alcohol infusion were found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid Nyberg
- Department of Clinical Science, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Umeå, Umeå, S-901-85 Sweden.
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16
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Marinkovic K, Halgren E, Maltzman I. Effects of alcohol on verbal processing: an event-related potential study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004; 28:415-23. [PMID: 15084899 PMCID: PMC3746793 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000117828.88597.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral studies suggest that alcohol intoxication impairs the speed and accuracy of word recognition and categorization, but alcohol's effects on the brain during verbal cognitive processing are not adequately understood. Using event-related potentials (ERP) and a word-recognition paradigm, this study investigated the effects of alcohol intoxication on prelexical, semantic, and mnemonic aspects of verbal processing. METHODS Concurrent measures of ERPs and skin conductance responses were obtained in a word-repetition priming task and permitted a comparison of the effects of alcohol on the central and autonomic physiologic systems. Social drinkers participated in all four cells of the within-subjects balanced placebo design, in which the effects of alcohol and information as to the beverage content (expectancy) were manipulated. The average peak blood alcohol level peaked at 0.045%. RESULTS None of the manipulations affected behavioral performance, and expectancy had no effect on any of the measures. In contrast, alcohol ingestion attenuated the temporoparietal N180, suggesting an impairment in prelexical pattern-recognition processes. Alcohol significantly increased the amplitude of N450 and the latency of P580, particularly on trials evoking sympathetic arousal as measured with skin conductance responses. CONCLUSIONS Although behavioral measures were unaffected, ERPs showed that a moderately low alcohol dose affected verbal processing during both early, prelexical and late, semantic stages. Alcohol significantly increased the difficulty of semantic access and integration, as reflected in larger N450 amplitude and longer P580 latency. This effect was particularly prominent on arousal-related trials, suggesting that alcohol impairs processes that modulate cognitive functioning. The lack of an interaction between the factors of repetition and beverage suggests that a moderately low alcohol dose exerts these effects via the semantic and integration systems rather than via memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Marinkovic
- Athinoula A Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
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Falleti MG, Maruff P, Collie A, Darby DG, McStephen M. Qualitative similarities in cognitive impairment associated with 24 h of sustained wakefulness and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. J Sleep Res 2004; 12:265-74. [PMID: 14633237 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.2003.00363.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies that have quantified fatigue-related cognitive impairment as blood alcohol concentration (BAC) equivalents have been limited by two issues: the effect of practice on tests of cognition and, more importantly, the statistic used to quantify change in cognitive performance. The current study addressed these issues by adopting an ABACA design, which allowed for the adequate control of practice effects, and by using effect size metrics, which enabled direct comparisons to be made in performance impairments as a result of fatigue (i.e. sustained wakefulness of 24 h) and alcohol (i.e. BAC of 0.05%). Cognitive performance under the fatigue and alcohol conditions required the use of the CogState battery. It was demonstrated that fatigue caused greater impairment than alcohol on the speed of continuous attention and memory and learning, and on the accuracy of complex matching. Alcohol was more detrimental than fatigue only on the accuracy of memory and learning. Performances on the remaining tasks were the same for both the fatigue and alcohol conditions. These differences and similarities in performance impairment are discussed emphasizing the deleterious cognitive effects of relatively short periods of sustained wakefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina G Falleti
- School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora Centre for Neuroscience, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia.
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Waller PF, Blow FC. Women, alcohol, and driving. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ALCOHOLISM : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY ON ALCOHOLISM, THE RESEARCH SOCIETY ON ALCOHOLISM, AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM 2002; 12:103-23. [PMID: 7624537 DOI: 10.1007/0-306-47138-8_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-related crashes and fatalities have shown a dramatic decrease over the last decade. While males continue to account for most alcohol-related crashes, females are an increasing proportion of alcohol-involved drivers in both fatal and nonfatal crashes. Although most research has not addressed the possibility of gender differences in the effects of alcohol on driving performance, available evidence suggests that such differences may exist. Alcohol appears to have greater effects on females in terms of biomedical damage and impaired performance, although these effects have not been systematically investigated in relation to driving. Effective prevention programs for women require more focused research to understand gender-related factors in the effects of alcohol on driving.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F Waller
- University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor 48109-2150, USA
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Almeida OF, Shoaib M, Deicke J, Fischer D, Darwish MH, Patchev VK. Gender differences in ethanol preference and ingestion in rats. The role of the gonadal steroid environment. J Clin Invest 1998; 101:2677-85. [PMID: 9637701 PMCID: PMC508858 DOI: 10.1172/jci1198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
An ethanol oral self administration paradigm showed the existence of gender differences in alcohol preference in rats: whereas males and females initiated alcohol drinking at similar rates, females maintained their preference for ethanol over a longer duration. Neonatal estrogenization of females, which effectively confers a male phenotype on a genetically female brain, resulted in patterns of drinking that were similar to those displayed by intact male rats, indicating that gender differences in alcohol drinking patterns may be, at least partially, accounted for by sexual differentiation of the brain. To test whether gonadal steroids also exert activational effects on ethanol-seeking behavior, we also examined the effects of gonadectomy alone, or in combination with gonadal steroid replacement therapy. Castration did not significantly alter ethanol consumption in males, although treatment of castrated rats with dihydrotestosterone resulted in a significant inhibition of this parameter. As compared with the situation in intact female rats, ethanol ingestion was significantly reduced in ovariectomized female rats receiving estradiol (E2) and in ovariectomized female rats receiving combined E2 and progesterone replacement therapy. However, neither ovariectomy nor progesterone replacement in ovariectomized rats resulted in ethanol drinking patterns that were different compared to those observed in intact female controls. Thus, dihydrotestosterone and E2, respectively, appear to exert modulatory influences on the male and female rats' preference for ethanol, but further investigations are necessary to determine to what extent these effects result from activational actions on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- O F Almeida
- Neuroadaptations Group, Department of Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, D-80804 Munich, Germany.
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PERKINS KENNETHA. Combined effects of nicotine and alcohol on subjective, behavioral and physiological responses in humans. Addict Biol 1997; 2:255-68. [PMID: 26735782 DOI: 10.1080/13556219772552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine and alcohol have each been widely studied in humans, but there has been relatively little attention paid to their combined effects. This is surprising, given the high frequency with which they are consumed together. The limited literature on these combined effects is murky, partly because of failure to recognize that alcohol can have contrasting subjective mood effects depending on whether blood alcohol level is ascending or descending. However, in general, nicotine and alcohol (when blood alcohol level is descending) tend to have contrasting effects on mood ("stimulating" vs. "sedating", respectively), behavioral performance (slightly improving vs. impairing, respectively), and selected physiological responses (e.g. increased beta EEG vs. increased α EEG, respectively), but similar effects on other physiological responses (e.g. heart rate). Thus, when consumed together, mood, performance, and EEG responses are often intermediate between those due to alcohol alone or nicotine alone. Responses influenced in the same direction by either, such as cardiovascular effects, are exacerbated beyond effects due to either alone. Since mood and behavioral effects are likely to reinforce drug use, the attenuating influence of nicotine on alcohol's sedative effects could explain the frequently observed increase in smoking after alcohol consumption. At the same time, nicotine plus alcohol may exacerbate some physiological responses (e.g. cardiovascular) that can impact negatively on health. Limitations of this research and possible mechanisms of interaction between nicotine and alcohol are briefly noted. The need to consider the modulating influences of environmental and baseline-relevant factors is also emphasized.
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Ryan C, Russo K, Greeley J. Testing the global-slowing hypothesis: are alcohol's effects on human performance process-specific or task-general? Acta Psychol (Amst) 1996; 92:59-78. [PMID: 8693954 DOI: 10.1016/0001-6918(94)00059-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In an interesting recent meta-analysis, Maylor and Rabbitt (1993) suggested that alcohol's effects on human performance may not be process- or stage-specific, but reflect a general, undifferentiated, cognitive slowing. According to this view, performance is globally slowed by a constant multiplicative fraction (b), such that the longer a process takes without alcohol on board (a -), the more it will be slowed by alcohol (a +). In summary: RTa+ = b b (RTa-). In this sense, the effects of alcohol are determined simply by the duration of a process or stage--not by its function or content--and attempts to map the effects of alcohol to specific cognitive operations are essentially futile. This global-slowing hypothesis entails, then, (i) that the function relating RTa+ to RTa- will be linear and increasing; (ii) that the value of b will be significantly greater than 1.0; and (iii) that all experimental factors which increase the complexity (hence, duration) of a task or stage will interact with alcohol. In this study we tested the global-slowing hypothesis directly using fixed set, varied set and concurrent sets item-recognition paradigms. All three tasks showed convincing additivity between alcohol and other key experimental factors which affect response latency (e.g., setsize, response type); there was no hint of any of the spectrum of significant interactions predicted by the global-slowing hypothesis. A meta-analysis of varied set latencies, analogous to Maylor and Rabbitt's, yielded a reasonably linear alcohol/no-alcohol function, but with a slope constant (b) less than 1.0. In all, the data provided little support for the global-slowing hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ryan
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, School of Behavioural Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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Perkins KA, Sexton JE, DiMarco A, Grobe JE, Scierka A, Stiller RL. Subjective and cardiovascular responses to nicotine combined with alcohol in male and female smokers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1995; 119:205-12. [PMID: 7659768 DOI: 10.1007/bf02246162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine and alcohol are often consumed concurrently by smokers. Each drug alone produces significant subjective and cardiovascular responses, but the effects of the two drugs in combination have rarely been examined. Smokers who were moderate alcohol drinkers (n = 18, 9 males and 9 females) participated in four sessions, involving acute administration of nicotine/placebo and alcohol/no alcohol. Subjects abstained overnight from tobacco and alcohol prior to each session. Nicotine (20 micrograms/kg per presentation) or placebo was administered by measured-dose nasal spray every 30 min for 2 h following consumption of diet tonic water with or without alcohol (0.5 g/kg). Subjective (visual analog scales, Profile of Mood States, Addiction Research Center Inventory) and cardiovascular (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) responses were assessed after each nicotine/placebo administration. Nicotine increased head rush, dizzy, and most stimulant effects (i.e. jittery, tension, and arousal and decreased fatigue and relaxed), while alcohol increased intoxication, head rush, dizzy, and jittery, with no other stimulant effects. Nicotine and alcohol generally produced additive subjective and cardiovascular effects when consumed together, although nicotine attenuated sedating and intoxicating effects of alcohol alone. Furthermore, there were several interaction effects on subjective measures involving gender. Nicotine plus alcohol tended to attenuate some subjective effects due to one drug or the other alone in men but enhanced the effects of either alone in women. These findings indicate that nicotine and alcohol generally have additive subjective and cardiovascular effects, but that men and women differentially respond on some subjective measures to the combination of alcohol and nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Perkins
- Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, PA 15213, USA
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