Silent trace eliminates differential eyeblink learning in abstinent alcoholics.
Chronic alcoholism has profound effects on the brain, including volume reductions in regions critical for eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC). The current study challenged abstinent alcoholics using delay (n = 20) and trace (n = 17) discrimination/reversal EBCC. Comparisons revealed a significant difference between delay and trace conditioning performance during reversal (t (35) = 2.08, p < 0.05). The difference between the two tasks for discrimination was not significant (p = 0.44). These data support the notion that alcoholics are increasingly impaired in the complex task of reversing a previously learned discrimination when a silent trace interval is introduced. Alcoholics' impairment in flexibly altering learned associations may be central to their continued addiction.
Fortier
Catherine Brawn
CB
Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA. Catherine_Fortier@hms.harvard.edu
Maksimovskiy
Arkadiy L
AL
Venne
Jonathan R
JR
LaFleche
Ginette
G
McGlinchey
Regina E
RE
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001767:Blinking; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012193:Reversal Learning