Selective effects of alcohol on Wisconsin card sorting test performance

Abstract

Social drinker volunteers were randomly assigned to the four cells of a balanced placebo design, with 10 males and 10 females per cell. They consumed a beverage which contained either tonic water only, or tonic water plus sufficient vodka to induce peak blood alcohol levels of approximately 0.05%. Subjects then completed a computer version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in two runs. Compared to tonic only, beverage alcohol selectively increased per cent perseverative errors as well as other measures of perseveration and the number of trials, p less than 0.05. Results are interpreted in terms of an hypothesized differential action on functions of the frontal cortex in addition to possible non-specific effects of alcohol. Issues pertaining to expectancy interpretations are also discussed.

Effects of low alcohol consumption on visual evoked potential, visual field and visual contrast sensitivity

“…Some bad driving may result from changes in brain function rather than effects on vision. Lyvers & Maltzman (1991) studied the effects of low alcohol consumption on the prefrontal cortex, using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. They found that more mistakes were made at a BAL of 0.4 g/kg and suggested that alcohol has an effect even at low BAL.…”

Neuropsychological correlates of opioid dependence and withdrawal

“…People with frontal lobe damage tend to make perseverative responses (PRs) and errors (PEs) (Robinson et al, 1980) on this test. The dual run procedure used in the present study has been shown to increase the sensitivity of the Neuropsychological Correlates of Opioid Dependence 4 WCST to frontal lobe dysfunction (Stuss et al, 1983) and drug effects (Lyvers & Maltzman, 1991;Lyvers et al, 1994) and more selectively activates the prefrontal cortex than the standard procedure does (Berman et al, 1995;Smith et al, 1997). In recognition of their sensitivity to prefrontal cortex dysfunction (Mountain & Snow, 1993), the crucial WCST measures in the present study were the percentages of responses that were PEs (%PE) and PRs (%PR), with the percentage of responses that were nonperseverative errors (%NPE) serving as a control index of nonspecific cognitive impairment.…”

“…Previous research by Lyvers and colleagues (Lyvers & Maltzman, 1991;Lyvers, Maltzman & Miyata, 1994) has shown that the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), a widely used index of executive cognitive functioning, is surprisingly sensitive to the effects of mild psychoactive doses of alcohol or nicotine. Measures of perseveration selectively distinguished drug from placebo or withdrawal conditions; perseveration measures are consistently elevated in persons who have suffered frontal lobe injury (Robinson, Heaton, Lehman, & Stilson, 1980).…”

A review of the literature on the effects of low doses of alcohol on driving-related skills

“…Even higher thresholds applied to card sorting, grammatical reasoning, and the Sternberg memory task. Card sorting tests were not generally affected by BACs below 0.090 g/dl, although Lyvers & Maltzman (1991) No ImpaYment E) Impatment Figure 4. Behavioral test results, by behavioral area.…”