Personality and the effects of acute alcohol intake. A contingent negative variation study in healthy subjects.
This study investigates the relationship between blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and contingent negative variation (CNV). Fourteen healthy subjects were divided on the basis of their personality profiles--the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Hs+Hy+D/3)--into a high score (HS) and low score (LS) subgroup. The CNV was recorded using a choice-reaction time (RT) task. CNV recording was performed in two conditions: inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) of 1500 ms and 2500 ms at three different BACs (0.3, 0.5 and 0.8 g/L) after acute alcohol administration. At the high BAC (0.8 g/L), both subgroups showed a reduced CNV amplitude area and a longer RT (p<.05) in both ISI conditions. No effects either on the CNV or on the RT were observed at the low BAC (0.3 g/L). At the intermediate BAC (0.5 g/L), the HS subgroup displayed an increased CNV amplitude (p<.05), not accompanied by a significantly longer RT (short ISI condition), and a reduced late CNV (p<.05) with a longer RT (p<.05) (long ISI condition). In the LS group, only a longer RT was observed in the long ISI condition. CNV modifications point to an individual, apparently personality-related, threshold of sensitivity to different alcohol levels.
Fattapposta
Francesco
F
Department of Neurology and Otolaryngology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. francesco.fattapposta@uniroma1.it
Venturi
Piero
P
Carella Prada
Ozrem
O
Costamagna
Luisa
L
D'Alessio
Carmelo
C
Mostarda
Mirella
M
Mina
Concetta
C
Parisi
Leoluca
L
Pirro
Cristina
C
Amabile
Giuseppe
G
D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004056:Differential Threshold; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors
D000431:Ethanol