title: Psychophysiological activity and neuropsychological test performance in alcoholics.
abstract: This study examined electromyogram (EMG) and skin conductance level (SCL) as mediators of neuropsychological test performance of alcoholics. Alcoholics and controls with high EMG performed less well than low EMG subjects on 12 measures of neuropsychological performance. For SCL, the alcoholics and controls in the Low Group did not differ from those in the High Group on any measure. Analyses that used information intake (Low EMG and High SCL) and rejection (High EMG and Low SCL) information postures (IPs) demonstrated that the intake group outperformed the rejection group on 10 neuropsychological measures. Subjects with intake IPs reported more stimulation, concentration, and interest during the tasks than did subjects with rejection IPs. Results suggest that IPs can be used to identify alcoholics with neuropsychological deficits.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences Laboratories, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Braggio
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pishkin
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lovallo
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol