title: Alcohol-induced impairment of inhibitory mechanisms involved in visual search.
abstract: The present study examined the effects of alcohol on the ability to perform a cued target detection task that measured inhibition of return (IOR). IOR is a reflexive inhibitory mechanism that delays attention from returning to a previously attended location and has been shown to increase the efficiency of a visual search. Ten social drinkers performed the task under 3 alcohol doses: 0.0 g/kg (placebo), 0.45 g/kg, and 0.65 g/kg. The results showed both active alcohol doses reduced the IOR effect by shortening its duration of influence. The reduced duration of IOR under alcohol suggests that repeated searches in previously explored locations might be more likely under the drug, thereby reducing search efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA.
authors.forename: Ben D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Abroms
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fillmore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D003463:Cues; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol