The acute effect of low-dose alcohol on working memory during mental arithmetic: I. Behavioral measures and EEG theta band spectral characteristics.
OBJECTIVE
Task-related EEG changes were studied during the performance of a mental arithmetic task, as influenced by low alcohol dosages with the presumption that even "social" drinking may have detrimental effect.


METHODS
A mental arithmetic task was used in which addition and working memory effort was required. EEG spectra with an emphasis on the theta band, error rate and reaction time were analyzed in 5 (control, task, placebo-task, low-dose task [0.2 g/kg alcohol], high-dose task [0.4 g/kg alcohol]) conditions. Blood alcohol concentrations were measured.


RESULTS
Reaction time was shortest in the placebo condition. No significant alcohol effect was seen for error rate. Task-related significant theta power increase was observed especially in the frontal area and in the left hemisphere which was reversed, although not in a significant way, by alcohol.


CONCLUSIONS
No detrimental alcohol effect was seen on behavioral indices of task performance. However, the ethanol-induced moderate reduction of the task-related frontally dominant theta increase, probably corresponding to working memory demand, is a modest but clear electrophysiological sign of alcohol effect in this low-dose range.
Institute for Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
Roland
R
Boha
Márk
M
Molnár
Zsófia Anna
ZA
Gaál
Balázs
B
Czigler
Kálmán
K
Róna
Krisztina
K
Kass
Gabriella
G
Klausz
D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol