The effect of alcohol and placebo on affective reactions of social drinkers to a procedure designed to induce depressive affect anxiety and hostility

Abstract

Randomly assigned 33 males to one of three alcohol conditions: High dose (two groups), placebo, and no‐dose. All Ss after drinking performed a pseudo test of intelligence. One group of high‐dose Ss received feedback that indicated an extremely good performance on the intelligence task (Incentive Gain), while all other Ss received extremely poor performance scores (Incentive Loss). Analysis of pre‐post feedback scores on the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List indicated differential effect of alcohol and placebo with no change of depressive affect in the two high‐dose alcohol groups, but an increase in placebo Ss Furthermore, incentive loss high‐dose Ss rated themselves as significantly more intoxicated than did incentive gain high‐dose Ss. The results are discussed in terms of attributions for success and failure, cognitions and depressive affect, and tension reduction models of alcoholism.

Glia pathology in the prefrontal cortex in alcohol dependence with and without depressive symptoms

“…There is abundant evidence for a preferential involvement of the prefrontal cortex in the brain neuropatho-logic changes associated with alcohol abuse (for a review, see Harper 1998). Characteristic behavioral abnormalities and reduced regional glucose metabolism or blood flow in medial, dorsolateral, and orbitofrontal regions of the pre-frontal cortex in chronic alcoholics indicate an abnormal functioning of these cortical regions (George et al 1999;Hoaken et al 1998;Pihl et al 1980;Sullivan et al 2000;Volkow et al 1992;Weingartner et al 1994). Moreover, a significant correlation between the behavioral and cognitive abnormalities and the haemodynamic and metabolic alterations have been demonstrated in the temporal and prefrontal cortical areas of alcoholics (Adams et al 1993(Adams et al , 1995Dally et al 1988;Nicolas et al 1993).…”