Jessica Weafer1, David A Gallo2, Harriet de Wit1. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. 2. Department of Psychology , University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Drug and alcohol abusers develop strong memories for drug-related stimuli. Preclinical studies suggest that such memories are a result of drug actions on reward pathways, which facilitate learning about drug-related stimuli. However, few controlled studies have investigated how drugs affect memory for drug-related stimuli in humans. METHODS: The current study examined the direct effect of alcohol on memory for images of alcohol-related or neutral beverages. Participants received alcohol (0.8 g/kg) either before viewing visual images (encoding condition; n = 20) or immediately after viewing them (consolidation condition; n = 20). A third group received placebo both before and after viewing the images (control condition; n = 19). Memory retrieval was tested exactly 48 hours later, in a drug-free state. RESULTS:Alcohol impaired memory in the encoding condition and enhanced memory in the consolidation condition, but these effects did not differ for alcohol-related and neutral beverage stimuli. However, in the encoding condition, participants who experienced greater alcohol-induced stimulation exhibited better memory for alcohol-related, but not neutral beverage stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that individual differences in sensitivity to the positive, rewarding effects of alcohol are associated with greater propensity to remember alcohol-related stimuli encountered while intoxicated. As such, stimulant responders may form stronger memory associations with alcohol-related stimuli, which might then influence their drinking behavior.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Drug and alcohol abusers develop strong memories for drug-related stimuli. Preclinical studies suggest that such memories are a result of drug actions on reward pathways, which facilitate learning about drug-related stimuli. However, few controlled studies have investigated how drugs affect memory for drug-related stimuli in humans. METHODS: The current study examined the direct effect of alcohol on memory for images of alcohol-related or neutral beverages. Participants received alcohol (0.8 g/kg) either before viewing visual images (encoding condition; n = 20) or immediately after viewing them (consolidation condition; n = 20). A third group received placebo both before and after viewing the images (control condition; n = 19). Memory retrieval was tested exactly 48 hours later, in a drug-free state. RESULTS:Alcoholimpaired memory in the encoding condition and enhanced memory in the consolidation condition, but these effects did not differ for alcohol-related and neutral beverage stimuli. However, in the encoding condition, participants who experienced greater alcohol-induced stimulation exhibited better memory for alcohol-related, but not neutral beverage stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that individual differences in sensitivity to the positive, rewarding effects of alcohol are associated with greater propensity to remember alcohol-related stimuli encountered while intoxicated. As such, stimulant responders may form stronger memory associations with alcohol-related stimuli, which might then influence their drinking behavior.
Authors: Harriet de Wit; K Luan Phan; Milena Radoman; Natania A Crane; Stephanie M Gorka; Jessica Weafer; Scott A Langenecker Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2020-06-06 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Jessica Weafer; Stephanie M Gorka; Mario Dzemidzic; David A Kareken; K Luan Phan; Harriet de Wit Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2021-05-04 Impact factor: 8.294
Authors: Julie Gawrylowicz; Anne M Ridley; Ian P Albery; Edit Barnoth; Jack Young Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2017-02-19 Impact factor: 4.530