Functional Imaging of Cognitive Control During Acute Alcohol Intoxication

• Published in: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 156 - 165
• Main Authors: Anderson, Beth M., Stevens, Michael C., Meda, Shashwath A., Jordan, Kathryn, Calhoun, Vince D., Pearlson, Godfrey D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2011; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - physiopathology; Alcohol Drinking - psychology; Alcoholic Intoxication - physiopathology; Alcoholic Intoxication - psychology; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Anterior Cingulate; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Breath tests; Central Nervous System Depressants - administration & dosage; Cognition; Error Monitoring; Ethanol - administration & dosage; Female; Functional Imaging; Go/No-Go; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropsychological Tests; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Parietal Lobe - physiopathology; Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology; Psychomotor Performance; Reaction Time; Toxicology; Error Monitoring; Anterior Cingulate; Ethanol; Acute; Central nervous system; Error; Alcohol; Encephalon; Alcoholic beverage; Cingulate cortex; Surveillance; Go/No-Go; Go/NoGo task; Poisoning; Cognitive control; Functional imaging
• ISSN: 0145-6008; 1530-0277
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01332.x

Background:  The anterior cingulate and several other prefrontal and parietal brain regions are implicated in error processing and cognitive control. The effects of different doses of alcohol on activity within these brain regions during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task where errors are frequently committed have not been fully explored. Methods:  This study examined the impact of a placebo [breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) = 0.00%], moderate (BrAC = 0.05%), and high (BrAC = 0.10%) doses of alcohol on brain hemodynamic activity during a functional MRI (fMRI) Go/No‐Go task in 38 healthy volunteers. Results:  Alcohol increased reaction time and false alarm errors in a dose‐dependent manner. fMRI analyses showed alcohol decreased activity in anterior cingulate, lateral prefrontal cortex, insula, and parietal lobe regions during false alarm responses to No‐Go stimuli. Conclusions:  These findings indicate that brain regions implicated in error processing are affected by alcohol and might provide a neural basis for alcohol’s effects on behavioral performance.