Alcohol and false recognition: a dose-effect study.
BACKGROUND
The pattern of acute memory impairment produced by alcohol is similar to that produced by the benzodiazepines. However, in contrast to demonstrations that benzodiazepines decrease false recognition rates, results of a recent study suggest that a low dose of alcohol increases false recognition rates; false recognition refers to the phenomenon of mistakenly claiming that one has been exposed previously to a novel item.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to examine the acute dose-effects of alcohol on false recognition.


METHODS
Effects of alcohol (0.27 and 0.60 g/kg) on performance in the Deese/Roediger-McDermott false recognition paradigm were examined in a repeated measures placebo-controlled double-blind design in 18 healthy volunteers.


RESULTS
The 0.60 g/kg dose of alcohol significantly reduced true recognition rates (measured by hit rate) and induced a more conservative response bias (measured by C) relative to placebo; however, neither alcohol dose significantly impaired participants' sensitivity in discriminating between old and new words (d'). Neither alcohol dose affected false recognition rates.


CONCLUSIONS
Effects of alcohol on false recognition and on response bias may differ from those observed previously with benzodiazepines. A direct comparison at equivalent doses will be necessary to draw conclusions about qualitative differences between alcohol and benzodiazepines.
Mintzer
M Z
MZ
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Biology Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. mmintzer@jhmi.edu
Griffiths
R R
RR
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants