Séverine Lannoy1, Alexandre Heeren2, Nathalie Moyaerts1, Nicolas Bruneau1, Salomé Evrard1, Joël Billieux1, Pierre Maurage3. 1. Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 10 Place du Cardinal Mercier, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 2. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 1230 William James Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. 3. Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 10 Place du Cardinal Mercier, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. pierre.maurage@uclouvain.be.
Abstract
RATIONALE: The cognitive deficits observed in young binge drinkers have been largely documented during the last decade. Yet, these earlier studies have mainly focused on high-level cognitive abilities (particularly memory and executive functions), and uncertainty thus still abounds regarding the integrity of less complex cognitive processes in binge drinking. This is particularly true for attentional abilities, which play a crucial role in behavior regulation and are impaired in other alcohol-related disorders. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: To specify the attentional deficits associated with binge drinking, two groups of university students (40 binge drinkers and 40 matched controls) performed the Attention Network Task, a theoretically grounded test assessing three independent attentional networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. RESULTS: Binge drinkers displayed preserved orienting performance but impaired alerting and executive control. Binge drinking is thus not related to a general attentional impairment but rather to specific impairments of the alerting and executive control networks. CONCLUSIONS: These results underline that, beyond the already explored high-level deficits, binge drinking is also related to impairments for attentional abilities. In view of the role played by attentional impairments in alcohol dependence, the present data also suggest that rehabilitation programs should be developed to improve attentional abilities at the early stages of alcohol-related disorders.
RATIONALE: The cognitive deficits observed in young binge drinkers have been largely documented during the last decade. Yet, these earlier studies have mainly focused on high-level cognitive abilities (particularly memory and executive functions), and uncertainty thus still abounds regarding the integrity of less complex cognitive processes in binge drinking. This is particularly true for attentional abilities, which play a crucial role in behavior regulation and are impaired in other alcohol-related disorders. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: To specify the attentional deficits associated with binge drinking, two groups of university students (40 binge drinkers and 40 matched controls) performed the Attention Network Task, a theoretically grounded test assessing three independent attentional networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. RESULTS: Binge drinkers displayed preserved orienting performance but impaired alerting and executive control. Binge drinking is thus not related to a general attentional impairment but rather to specific impairments of the alerting and executive control networks. CONCLUSIONS: These results underline that, beyond the already explored high-level deficits, binge drinking is also related to impairments for attentional abilities. In view of the role played by attentional impairments in alcohol dependence, the present data also suggest that rehabilitation programs should be developed to improve attentional abilities at the early stages of alcohol-related disorders.
Authors: Alecia Dager Schweinsburg; Brian C Schweinsburg; Bonnie J Nagel; Lisa T Eyler; Susan F Tapert Journal: Addiction Date: 2010-12-06 Impact factor: 6.526
Authors: Marta Czapla; Joe J Simon; Hans-Christoph Friederich; Sabine C Herpertz; Peter Zimmermann; Sabine Loeber Journal: Eur Addict Res Date: 2014-11-22 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Daniel F Hermens; Jim Lagopoulos; Juliette Tobias-Webb; Tamara De Regt; Glenys Dore; Lisa Juckes; Noeline Latt; Ian B Hickie Journal: Cortex Date: 2012-06-17 Impact factor: 4.027
Authors: Lindsay M Squeglia; Susan F Tapert; Edith V Sullivan; Joanna Jacobus; M J Meloy; Torsten Rohlfing; Adolf Pfefferbaum Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2015-05-18 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Marsha E Bates; Julianne L Price; Mateo Leganes-Fonteneau; Neel Muzumdar; Kelsey Piersol; Ian Frazier; Jennifer F Buckman Journal: Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback Date: 2022-05-10
Authors: A Correas; E López-Caneda; L Beaton; S Rodríguez Holguín; L M García-Moreno; L F Antón-Toro; F Cadaveira; F Maestú; K Marinkovic Journal: J Psychopharmacol Date: 2018-10-24 Impact factor: 4.153
Authors: Sean M Molnar; Lauren E Beaton; Joseph P Happer; Lee A Holcomb; Siyuan Huang; Donatello Arienzo; Ksenija Marinkovic Journal: Brain Sci Date: 2018-01-04