The effects of binge drinking on college students' next-day academic test-taking performance and mood state.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of binge drinking on students' next-day academic test-taking performance.


METHODS
A placebo-controlled cross-over design with randomly assigned order of conditions. Participants were randomized to either alcoholic beverage [mean = 0.12 g% breath alcohol concentration (BrAC)] or placebo on the first night and then received the other beverage a week later. The next day, participants were assessed on test-taking, neurocognitive performance and mood state.


METHODS
A total of 196 college students (>or=21 years) recruited from greater Boston.


METHODS
The trial was conducted at the General Clinical Research Center at the Boston Medical Center.


METHODS
The Graduate Record Examinations(c) (GREs) and a quiz on a lecture presented the previous day measured test-taking performance; the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES3) and the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) measured neurocognitive performance; and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) measured mood.


RESULTS
Test-taking performance was not affected on the morning after alcohol administration, but mood state and attention/reaction-time were affected.


CONCLUSIONS
Drinking to a level of 0.12 g% BrAC does not affect next-day test-taking performance, but does affect some neurocognitive measures and mood state.
Howland
Jonathan
J
Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA. jhowl@bu.edu
Rohsenow
Damaris J
DJ
Greece
Jacey A
JA
Littlefield
Caroline A
CA
Almeida
Alissa
A
Heeren
Timothy
T
Winter
Michael
M
Bliss
Caleb A
CA
Hunt
Sarah
S
Hermos
John
J
D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010919:Placebos; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012890:Sleep; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
D010919:Placebos; D000431:Ethanol
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