title: Suppression of mismatch negativity by backward masking predicts impaired working-memory performance in alcoholics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pronounced disruption of memory traces by subsequent distractors may result in impaired behavioral memory performance in alcoholics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This hypothesis was investigated with an electrophysiological index of auditory sensory-memory traces, mismatch negativity, a preattentive event-related potential component elicited by a "deviant" tone within a train of "standard" tones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inserting a masking stimulus after these tones abolished mismatch negativity in alcoholics (DSM-IV) but not in social-drinker controls. This effect predicted working-memory impairment in alcoholics, and correlated significantly with self-reported alcohol consumption of the subjects. Furthermore, the backward-masking mismatch negativity paradigm detected sensory-memory impairment in 9 of 20 alcoholics (sensitivity 45%), whereas all 20 social drinkers were unimpaired (specificity 100%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vulnerability to memory trace disruption by shortly following sounds may be one of the factors contributing to behavioral memory dysfunction in alcoholics. The present result may provide an objective neurophysiological tool for investigation of alcohol-induced and other degenerative brain disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland. jyrki.ahveninen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahveninen
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Jääskeläinen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pekkonen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hallberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hietanen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Näätänen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sillanaukee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology*