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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Effects Of Acute Alcohol Consumption On Executive Cognitive Functioning In Naturalistic Settings, Michael Lyvers, Juliette Tobias-Webb
Effects Of Acute Alcohol Consumption On Executive Cognitive Functioning In Naturalistic Settings, Michael Lyvers, Juliette Tobias-Webb
Mike Lyvers
Laboratory studies have demonstrated that acute alcohol intoxication can disrupt performance on neuropsychological tests of executive cognitive functioning such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). However, the generalizability of such findings to typical self-regulated alcohol intake in social settings can be questioned. In the present study, 86 young adults were recruited at Australian bars to perform a computer version of the WCST. Participants displayed blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) across a range from 0 to 0.15%. Although self-report measures of typical alcohol consumption, impulsivity, and frontal lobe related everyday functioning were all intercorrelated in line with other recent findings, multiple …
“Loss Of Control” In Alcoholism And Drug Addiction: A Neuroscientific Interpretation, Michael Lyvers
“Loss Of Control” In Alcoholism And Drug Addiction: A Neuroscientific Interpretation, Michael Lyvers
Mike Lyvers
Considerable neurological evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex mediates complex "executive" functions including behavioral autonomy and self-control. Given that impairments of self-control are characteristic of alcoholism and other drug addictions, frontal lobe dysfunction may play a significant role in such compulsive behaviors. Consistent with this idea, recent research using brain imaging, neuropsychological testing, and other techniques has revealed that the frontal lobes are particularly vulnerable to the acute and chronic effects of addictive drugs, especially alcohol and cocaine. Evidence implicating a hyperdopaminergic mechanism of acute and chronic drug-induced frontal lobe dysfunction and interactions with premorbid factors and stress are discussed.