Alcohol effects on inhibitory control of attention: distinguishing between intentional and automatic mechanisms.
BACKGROUND
Recent research has begun to explore the possibility that inhibitory mechanisms of selective attention are particularly susceptible to the impairing effects of moderate doses of alcohol. However, literature also suggests that automatic processes might be more resistant to this impairing effect than controlled processes.


OBJECTIVE
The present study used a delayed ocular response task and a saccadic interference task to examine the effects of alcohol on both intentionally controlled and automatic inhibitory influences on selective attention.


METHODS
Twelve healthy adults performed both tasks under three doses of alcohol (0.0, 0.45, and 0.65 g/kg).


RESULTS
The results showed that alcohol reduced intentional inhibitory control over selective attention but had no effect on automatic inhibitory influences.


CONCLUSIONS
The present investigation marks the first effort to directly compare alcohol effects on automatic and intentional inhibitory mechanisms of visual attention. The results suggest that attentional processes dependent on intentional inhibitory control may be more susceptible to the impairing effects of a moderate dose of alcohol than processes dependent on automatic inhibition.
Abroms
Ben D
BD
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA.
Gottlob
Lawrence R
LR
Fillmore
Mark T
MT
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012438:Saccades / Q000187:drug effects; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D000431:Ethanol