Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Alcohol-induced performance impairment: a 5-year re-examination study in heavy and light drinkers

  • Original Investigation
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The theory of behavioral tolerance to alcohol posits that greater experience with drinking to intoxication leads to less impaired cognitive and psychomotor performance. However, the degree to which behavioral tolerance develops or changes over time in adults due to repeated heavy alcohol drinking has not been clearly demonstrated.

Method

We examined data from the first 6 years of the Chicago Social Drinking Project to test whether chronic heavy drinkers (HDs; n = 86) and light drinkers (LDs; n = 69) exhibit behavioral tolerance or changes in perceived impairment at two testing phases in early adulthood. Tasks were the Grooved Pegboard and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) given at initial testing and then repeated in a re-examination phase 5 years later. Alcohol (0.8 g/kg) and placebo were administered at separate sessions in each phase for a total of 620 individual laboratory sessions.

Results

HDs exhibited less impairment over time on the Pegboard task but not on the DSST, while LDs did not exhibit behavioral tolerance on either task. HDs reported persistently lower perceived impairment compared to LDs.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that behavioral tolerance in HDs is evident over time on rote fine motor skills (Pegboard) but not more complex skills integrating motor speed, encoding, and short-term memory (DSST). The results have implications for our understanding of alcohol-induced impairments across neurobehavioral processes in heavy drinkers and their ongoing risks for alcohol-related consequences over time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bornstein RA (1985) Normative data on selected neuropsychological measures from a nonclinical sample. J Clin Psychol 41:651–659. doi:10.1002/1097-4679(198509)41:5<651::aid-jclp2270410511>3.0.co;2-c

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brumback T, Cao D, King A (2007) Effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance and perceived impairment in heavy binge social drinkers. Drug Alcohol Depend 91:10–17. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.04.013

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chanraud S, Pitel A-L, Rohlfing T, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV (2010) Dual tasking and working memory in alcoholism: relation to frontocerebellar circuitry. Neuropsychopharmacology 35:1868–1878

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C-S (1972) A further note on studies of acquired behavioural tolerance to alcohol. Psychopharmacologia 27:265–274. doi:10.1007/BF00422807

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C-S (1979) Acquisition of behavioral tolerance to ethanol as a function of reinforced practice in rats. Psychopharmacology 63:285–288. doi:10.1007/BF00433563

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conrad M, McNamara P, King A (2012) Alternative substance paradigm: effectiveness of beverage blinding and effects on acute alcohol responses. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 20:382. doi:10.1037/a0029261

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Crews FT et al (2005) Alcoholic neurobiology: changes in dependence and recovery. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 29:1504–1513. doi:10.1097/01.alc.0000175013.50644.61

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duka T, Weissenborn R, Dienes Z (2001) State-dependent effects of alcohol on recollective experience, familiarity and awareness of memories. Psychopharmacology 153:295–306. doi:10.1007/s002130000564

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eckardt MJ et al (1998) Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the central nervous system. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 22:998–1040. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1998.tb03695.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ekman G, Frankenhaeuser M, Goldberg L, Hagdahl R, Myrsten A-L (1964) Subjective and objective effects of alcohol as functions of dosage and time. Psychopharmacologia 6:399–409. doi:10.1007/BF00429567

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fillmore MT, Vogel-Sprott M (1996) Social drinking history, behavioral tolerance and the expectation of alcohol. Psychopharmacology 127:359–364. doi:10.1007/BF02806015

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • First M, Spitzer R, Gibbon M, Williams JB (1995) Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID). New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Forcehimes AA, Tonigan JS, Miller WR, Kenna GA, Baer JS (2007) Psychometrics of the drinker inventory of consequences (DrInC). Addict Behav 32:1699–1704. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.11.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glosser G, Butters N, Kaplan E (1977) Visuoperceptual processes in brain damaged patients on the digit symbol substitution test. Int J Neurosci 7:59–66. doi:10.3109/00207457709147202

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg L (1943) Quantitative studies on alcohol tolerance in man. Acta Physiol Scand 5:1–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hindmarch I, Kerr JS, Sherwood N (1991) The effects of alcohol and other drugs on psychomotor performance and cognitive function. Alcohol Alcohol 26:71–79

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hollingworth HL (1924) The influence of alcohol (part II). The Journal of Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology 18:311–333. doi:10.1037/h0071117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobus J, Tapert SF (2013) Neurotoxic effects of alcohol in adolescence. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 9:703–721. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185610

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalant H (1998) Research on tolerance: what can we learn from history? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 22:67–76. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1998.tb03618.x

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalant H, LeBlanc AE, Gibbins RJ (1971) Tolerance to, and dependence on, some non-opiate psychotropic drugs. Pharmacol Rev 22:135–191

    Google Scholar 

  • King AC, Munisamy G, de Wit H, Lin S (2006) Attenuated cortisol response to alcohol in heavy social drinkers. Int J Psychophysiol 59:203–209. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2005.10.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King AC, de Wit H, McNamara PJ, Cao D (2011) Rewarding, stimulant, and sedative alcohol responses and relationship to future binge drinking. Arch Gen Psychiatry 68:389–399. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.26

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • King AC, McNamara PJ, Hasin DS, Cao D (2014) Alcohol challenge responses predict future alcohol use disorder symptoms: a 6-year prospective study. Biol Psychiatry 75:798–806. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.08.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King AC, Hasin D, O’Connor SJ, McNamara PJ, Cao D (2016) A prospective 5-year re-examination of alcohol response in heavy drinkers progressing in alcohol use disorder. Biol Psychiatry 79:489–498. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lakens D (2013) Calculating and reporting effect sizes to facilitate cumulative science: a practical primer for t-tests and ANOVAs. Front Psychol 4:863. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00863

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Leblanc AE, Kalant H, Gibbins RJ (1976) Acquisition and loss of behaviorally augmented tolerance to ethanol in the rat. Psychopharmacology 48:153–158. doi:10.1007/BF00423254

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lezak MD, Howieson DB, Loring DW (2004) Neuropsychological assessment, 4th edn. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller WR, Tonigan JS, Longabaugh R (1995) The Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC): An instrument for assessing adverse consequences of alcohol abuse. Test manual (Vol. 4, Project MATCH Monograph Series). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville

  • Miller MA, Hays LR, Fillmore MT (2012) Lack of tolerance to the disinhibiting effects of alcohol in heavy drinkers Psychopharmacology 224:511–518. doi:10.1007/s00213-012-2786-x

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell MC (1985) Alcohol-induced impairment of central nervous system function: behavioral skills involved in driving. J Stud Alcohol Suppl 10:109–116. doi:10.15288/jsas.1985.s10.109

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moskowitz H, Robinson C (1988) Effects of low doses of alcohol on driving-related skills: a review of the evidence. United States Department of Transportation, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Moulton PL, Petros TV, Apostal KJ, Park Ii RV, Ronning EA, King BM, Penland JG (2005) Alcohol-induced impairment and enhancement of memory: a test of the interference theory. Physiol Behav 85:240–245. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.03.011

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Statistics and Analysis (2014) Alcohol-impaired driving: 2013 data. (Traffic Safety Facts. DOT HS 812 102). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC

  • Oscar-Berman M, Marinković K (2007) Alcohol: effects on neurobehavioral functions and the brain. Neuropsychol Rev 17:239–257. doi:10.1007/s11065-007-9038-6

  • Parsons OA, Nixon SJ (1993) Neurobehavioral sequelae of alcoholism. Neurol Clin 11:205–218

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen RC (1977) Retrieval failures in alcohol state-dependent learning. Psychopharmacology 55:141–146. doi:10.1007/bf01457849

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins TW, Ersche KD, Everitt BJ (2008) Drug addiction and the memory systems of the brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1141:1–21. doi:10.1196/annals.1441.020

  • Roche DJO, King AC (2010) Alcohol impairment of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements: impact of risk factors for alcohol dependence. Psychopharmacology 212:33–44. doi:10.1007/s00213-010-1906-8

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders JB, Aasland OG, Babor TF, De La Fuente JR, Grant M (1993) Development of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption-II. Addiction 88:791–804. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02093.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scott-Sheldon LAJ, Terry DL, Carey KB, Garey L, Carey MP (2012) Efficacy of expectancy challenge interventions to reduce college student drinking: a meta-analytic review. Psychol Addict Behav 26:393–405. doi:10.1037/a0027565

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Smith LJ, McNamara PJ, King AC (2017) Optimizing follow-up and study retention in the 21st century: advances from the front line in alcohol and tobacco research. Drug & Alc Dep (in press)

  • Sobell LC, Sobell MB (1992) Timeline follow-back: a technique for assessing self-reported alcohol consumption. In: Litten RZ, Allen JP (eds) Measuring alcohol consumption: psychosocial and biochemical methods. Humana Press, Totowa, pp 41–72

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan EV (2000) Human brain vulnerability to alcoholism: evidence from neuroimaging studies. In: Noronha A, Eckardt M, Warren K (eds) Review of NIAAA’s neuroscience and behavioral research portfolio, vol NIAAA research monograph no. 34. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, pp 473–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan EV (2003) Compromised pontocerebellar and cerebellothalamocortical systems: speculations on their contributions to cognitive and motor impairment in nonamnesic alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 27:1409–1419. doi:10.1097/01.ALC.0000085586.91726.46

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A (2005) Neurocircuitry in alcoholism: a substrate of disruption and repair. Psychopharmacology 180:583–594

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan EV, Rose J, Pfefferbaum A (2010) Physiological and focal cerebellar substrates of abnormal postural sway and tremor in alcoholic women. Biol Psychiatry 67:44–51. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.08.008

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Tapert SF, Schweinsburg AD, Barlett VC, Brown SA, Frank LR, Brown GG, Meloy MJ (2004) Blood oxygen level dependent response and spatial working memory in adolescents with alcohol use disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 28:1577–1586. doi:10.1097/01.alc.0000141812.81234.a6

  • Vogel-Sprott M (1992) Alcohol tolerance and social drinking: learning the consequences. The Guilford substance abuse series. Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler D (1997) WAIS-III, Wechsler adult intelligence scale: administration and scoring manual. Psychological Corporation, San Antonio

  • Weissenborn R, Duka T (2003) Acute alcohol effects on cognitive function in social drinkers: their relationship to drinking habits. Psychopharmacology 165:306–312. doi:10.1007/s00213-002-1281-1

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitfield JB, Martin NG (1994) Alcohol consumption and alcohol pharmacokinetics: interactions within the normal population. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 18:238–243. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1994.tb00007.x

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA

    Ty Brumback

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Dr., Suite C213 (MC0862), La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Ty Brumback

  3. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Dingcai Cao

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Patrick McNamara & Andrea King

Authors
  1. Ty Brumback
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dingcai Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Patrick McNamara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andrea King
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ty Brumback.

Ethics declarations

Funding support

R01 AA013746 (PI: King) and National Center for Research Resources and National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research (no. UL1 RR02499). Also, this study was supported by the Veteran’s Affairs Office of Academic Affiliation (TB).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Brumback, T., Cao, D., McNamara, P. et al. Alcohol-induced performance impairment: a 5-year re-examination study in heavy and light drinkers. Psychopharmacology 234, 1749–1759 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4577-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4577-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation