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ABSTRACT. Objective: Perceived impairment and psychomotor performance following acute alcohol administration in older (ages 50-74, n = 42; 22 male) and younger (ages 25-35, n = 26; 12 male) adults were investigated in this study. Method: Double-blind, placebo-controlled alcohol administration techniques were designed to produce peak levels of breath alcohol concentration consistent with an episode of social drinking (40 mg/100 ml). Behavioral measures (Trail Making Test, Forms A and B), as well as measures of self-reported perceived intoxication and impairment, were administered on the ascending and descending limbs at common time points after beverage ingestion. Results: Results indicated that psychomotor performance differences did not parallel self-reported levels of perceived impairment. Relative to younger adults, older adults exhibited performance defi cits on the ascending limb while simultaneously reporting less perceived impairment. Conversely, on the descending limb, older adults who received alcohol reported more perceived impairment than did those who received placebo, although psychomotor performance between these two groups of older drinkers did not differ. For younger participants, a moderate dose of alcohol facilitated performance on the ascending limb; however, these differences were not refl ected on the descending limb. Conclusions: These results reinforce the common knowledge that self-reported measures may not provide an accurate refl ection of performance outcomes and, importantly, that older adults may be impaired even under a moderate dose of alcohol, although they may not be aware (i.e., report) of this impairment. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 70: [242][243][244][245][246][247][248][249][250][251][252] 2009)

HIV/AIDS is associated with reliable decrements in balance and peripheral sensory function which are variably sensitive to antiretroviral treatment. The implications of these findings for mobility, and workplace or operator safety, should be contemplated.

Although studies have shown that increases in the frequency of social media use may be associated with increases in depressive symptoms of individuals with depression, the current study aimed to identify specific social media behaviors related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Millennials (N = 504) who actively use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat participated in an online survey assessing major depression and specific social media behaviors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify specific social media behaviors associated with the presence of MDD.

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Research on electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of substance use has a long history. The present paper provides a review of recent studies -2001 to the present -with a focus on EEG findings in human participants characterized by a history of chronic substance use, abuse or dependence. In some areas (e.g., alcohol and cocaine dependence), the field has attempted to build upon earlier work by incorporating different methodologies or pursuing research questions of a transdisciplinary nature. New areas of inquiry, such as the investigation of EEG differences among users of ecstasy (MDMA) and methamphetamine, have emerged, primarily as a result of an alarming rise in popularity of these drugs.

Background:  Historically, the concomitant use of nicotine among alcoholics has not been methodologically accounted for. Given the observed cognitive enhancing effects of acute nicotine on attentional processes, it is important that the potentially positive effects of nicotine be disentangled from the negative effects of chronic alcohol dependence. The current study was conducted to address this question and to test the hypothesis that alcoholics who are regular smokers are more sensitive to the effects of nicotine on cognition as compared to regular smoking community controls. Methods:  A 2 [drug group; alcoholics (n = 28), community controls (n = 27)] X 2 nicotine dose level [low (7 mg dose) vs. high (14 or 21 mg dose)] double‐blind design was used to assess the differential effects of nicotine dose on a battery of neurocognitive tests focusing on attentional efficiency. Results:  As expected, the alcoholic group performed more poorly than did the control group. However, of greater interest to the current study was the finding that alcoholic participants differentially benefited from nicotine administration, as demonstrated in the differential dose effect. Conclusion:  The concomitant use of nicotine may serve to “mask” or “overcome” some of the negative effects of chronic alcohol dependence in newly recovering alcoholics. This potential effect has significant implications for treatment development and further understanding of the process of recovery of function in chronic alcoholics.