Intoxication with bourbon versus vodka: effects on hangover, sleep, and next-day neurocognitive performance in young adults.
BACKGROUND
This study assessed the effects of heavy drinking with high or low congener beverages on next-day neurocognitive performance, and the extent to which these effects were mediated by alcohol-related sleep disturbance or alcoholic beverage congeners, and correlated with the intensity of hangover.


METHODS
Healthy heavy drinkers age 21 to 33 (n = 95) participated in 2 drinking nights after an acclimatization night. They drank to a mean of 0.11 g% breath alcohol concentration on vodka or bourbon one night with matched placebo the other night, randomized for type and order. Polysomnography recordings were made overnight; self-report and neurocognitive measures were assessed the next morning.


RESULTS
After alcohol, people had more hangover and more decrements in tests requiring both sustained attention and speed. Hangover correlated with poorer performance on these measures. Alcohol decreased sleep efficiency and rapid eye movement sleep, and increased wake time and next-day sleepiness. Alcohol effects on sleep correlated with hangover but did not mediate the effects on performance. No effect of beverage congeners was found except on hangover severity, with people feeling worse after bourbon. Virtually no sex differences appeared.


CONCLUSIONS
As drinking to this level affects complex cognitive abilities, safety could be affected, with implications for driving and for safety-sensitive occupations. Congener content affects only how people feel the next day so does not increase risk. The sleep disrupting effects of alcohol did not account for the impaired performance so other mechanisms of effect need to be sought. As hangover symptoms correlate with impaired performance, these might be contributing to the impairment.
Rohsenow
Damaris J
DJ
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Damaris_Rohsenow@brown.edu
Howland
Jonathan
J
Arnedt
J Todd
JT
Almeida
Alissa B
AB
Greece
Jacey
J
Minsky
Sara
S
Kempler
Carrie S
CS
Sales
Suzanne
S
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol