title: Acute effects of moderate alcohol on psychomotor, set shifting, and working memory function in older and younger social drinkers.
abstract: ABSTRACT.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Despite substantial attention being paid to the health benefits of moderate alcohol intake as a lifestyle, the acute effects of alcohol on psychomotor and working memory function in older adults are poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of low to moderate doses of alcohol on neurobehavioral function were investigated in 39 older (55-70 years; 15 men) and 51 younger (25-35 years; 31 men) social drinkers. Subjects received one of three randomly assigned doses (placebo, .04 g/dl, or .065 g/dl target breath alcohol concentration). After beverage consumption, they completed the Trail Making Test Parts A and B and a working memory task requiring participants to determine whether probe stimuli were novel or had been presented in a preceding set of cue stimuli. Efficiency of working memory task performance was derived from accuracy and reaction time measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol was associated with poorer Trail Making Test Part B performance for older subjects. Working memory task results suggested an Age × Dose interaction for performance efficiency, with older but not younger adults demonstrating alcohol-related change. Directionality of change and whether effects on accuracy or reaction time drove the change depended on the novelty of probe stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study replicates previous research indicating increased susceptibility of older adults to moderate alcohol-induced psychomotor and set-shifting impairment and suggests such susceptibility extends to working memory performance. Further research using additional tasks and assessing other neuropsychological domains is needed. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 75, 870-879, 2014).
authors.affiliation: Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boissoneault
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sklar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prather
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: Sara Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Nixon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D014145:Trail Making Test