title: Effects of high-dose ethanol intoxication and hangover on cognitive flexibility.
abstract: The effects of high-dose ethanol intoxication on cognitive flexibility processes are not well understood, and processes related to hangover after intoxication have remained even more elusive. Similarly, it is unknown in how far the complexity of cognitive flexibility processes is affected by intoxication and hangover effects. We performed a neurophysiological study applying high density electroencephalography (EEG) recording to analyze event-related potentials (ERPs) and perform source localization in a task switching paradigm which varied the complexity of task switching by means of memory demands. The results show that high-dose ethanol intoxication only affects task switching (i.e. cognitive flexibility processes) when memory processes are required to control task switching mechanisms, suggesting that even high doses of ethanol compromise cognitive processes when they are highly demanding. The EEG and source localization data show that these effects unfold by modulating response selection processes in the anterior cingulate cortex. Perceptual and attentional selection processes as well as working memory processes were only unspecifically modulated. In all subprocesses examined, there were no differences between the sober and hangover states, thus suggesting a fast recovery of cognitive flexibility after high-dose ethanol intoxication. We assume that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) system accounts for the observed effects, while they can hardly be explained by the dopaminergic system.
authors: Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Germany.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Wolff
authors: Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Germany.
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Gussek
authors: Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Germany.
authors: Ann-Kathrin
authors: AK
authors: Stock
authors: Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Germany.|Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Beste
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001944:Breath Tests; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
keywords: Cognitive flexibility; EEG; ethanol; hangover; prefrontal cortex; task switching