Ethanol-Induced Alterations in Electroencephalographic Activity in Adult Males

Abstract

The present investigation examined the effects of placebo (P), low-dose (LD), and high-dose (HD) ethanol on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in 21 healthy, adult males (X = 22.7 years). Only one condition (P, W, or HD) was presented per day and the condition order was randomized. For each subject, blood-alcohol levels measured via breathalyzer and EEG activity, using the entire 10120 International System, were recorded both prior to and at intervals of 35, 70, 105, and 140 minutes after P, LD, or HD administration. The Fast Fourier Transform was used to calculate power spectral densities for each EEG recording. Measures of the relative areas under the power spectral curve were made for each of the KEY WORDS: Alpha; Beta; EEG; Power Spectra; Ethanol Investigations into the effects of acute ethanol adminis tration on adult, human electroencephalographic (EEG) activity have reported both decreases in the predomi nant baseline frequency and increases in power spec tral energy (Davis et al. 1941;Engel and Rosenbaum, 1945;Holmberg and Martens, 1955;Begleiter and Platz 1972;Lehtinen et al. 1981;Lukas et al. 1986;Michel and Battig 1989). However, defIning the relationship be tween ethanol ingestion and its effect on the EEG is complicated by numerous variables whose influence

Time Course and Regional Distribution of Cortical Changes During Acute Alcohol Ingestion

“…On the other hand there were no significant differences in the alcohol and placebo conditions for alpha 2. Ehlers et al (1989) and Cohen et al (1993) found similar results, though they only investigated cortical activity in the descending phase. Since alcohol only affected the slower alpha band, this could be interpreted as an alcohol induced shift of power from faster to slower frequencies and that participants are more likely therefore, to be drowsy during the alcohol sessions (Ehlers et al, 1989).…”

“…It was also interesting that EEG changes in this current study found significant and more prominent increases in alpha 1 activity in the frontal regions compared to the central and posterior regions. Similarly, Cohen et al (1993) 14 found increases in the slow alpha activity band in the F3, F4, C3, and C4 sites. However, they began recording after 35 minutes.…”

“…These changes generally indicate a lowered cortical arousal or decreased EEG "activation" pattern (O'Boyle, Van, & Hume, 1995;Stenberg et al, 1994). Most studies report patterns such as an overall increase in alpha and theta activity (Ehlers, Wall, & Schuckit, 1989;Lukas, Mendelson, Woods, Mello, & Teoh, 1989;Schwarz, Kielholz, Hobi, Goldeberg, Gilsdorf, Hofstetter et al, 1981), reduction in frequencies in the theta, fast alpha (9-12Hz) and beta (12-20Hz) bands (Ehlers et al, 1989), or an increase in only the slow alpha (7.5-10Hz) wave component (Cohen, Porjesz, & Begleiter, 1993). However, most of the abovementioned recent studies have concentrated on investigating the effects of alcohol after at least 35 minutes following ingestion.…”

“…However, their study was limited to results from one EEG band and they only studied females. Many previous studies investigating the effects of alcohol on the EEG have either limited the portion of the frequency spectrum (typically focusing on the EEG alpha band) or have limited the regions on the scalp by using small numbers of electrodes (Cohen et al, 1993).…”

Modification de l’index bispectral suite à une embolisation avec alcool absolu chez un patient souffrant de malformation artérioveineuse intracrânienne

“…Cohen et al 10 examined the effects of placebo and low and high doses of alcohol on EEG activity in 21 healthy males and found that alcohol had significant effects on EEG activity at frontal and central montages. These authors suggested that differential responsiveness of both cortical regions and EEG frequency band exists related to the effects of alcohol.…”