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Episodic foresight is impaired following acute alcohol intoxication.
Elliott, Morgan; Terrett, Gill; Curran, H Valerie; Rendell, Peter G; Henry, Julie D.
Affiliation
  • Elliott M; School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
  • Terrett G; School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
  • Curran HV; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK.
  • Rendell PG; School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
  • Henry JD; School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
J Psychopharmacol ; 37(5): 490-497, 2023 05.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36825668
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Alcohol intoxication disrupts many aspects of cognition, including the generation of phenomenological characteristics of future events (a component of episodic foresight), and the execution of directed preparatory behaviours (a component of prospective memory). However, no study has tested whether alcohol intoxication is also associated with deficits engaging episodic foresight to guide future-directed behaviour.

AIMS:

This study was designed to provide the first test of how alcohol intoxication influences the functional application of episodic foresight. The secondary aim was to establish the degree to which any observed episodic foresight difficulties associated with alcohol use might reflect broader problems in retrospective memory and executive control. Sex differences were also examined.

METHODS:

Healthy adult social drinkers randomly received either a moderate dose of 0.6 g/kg alcohol (n = 61) or a matched placebo drink (n = 63) and then completed a validated measure that met strict criteria for assessing the functional application of episodic foresight as well as a broader cognitive test battery.

RESULTS:

Relative to the placebo condition, episodic foresight was impaired by acute alcohol consumption, with this impairment related to poorer retrospective memory, but not executive control. The negative effects of alcohol intoxication on episodic foresight did not differ as a function of sex.

CONCLUSIONS:

Even a moderate level of intoxication impairs the ability to use episodic foresight in a functionally adaptive way. These findings have implications for understanding many of the maladaptive behaviours that are often associated with acute alcohol use.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Alcoholic Intoxication / Alcoholism Type of study: Clinical_trials / Observational_studies / Qualitative_research / Risk_factors_studies Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male Language: En Journal: J Psychopharmacol Journal subject: PSICOFARMACOLOGIA Year: 2023 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Australia

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Alcoholic Intoxication / Alcoholism Type of study: Clinical_trials / Observational_studies / Qualitative_research / Risk_factors_studies Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male Language: En Journal: J Psychopharmacol Journal subject: PSICOFARMACOLOGIA Year: 2023 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Australia