This paper presents some results of an Australian study of the `hangover' effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance twelve hours after the administration of alcohol. Tests of visual-motor performance and vigilance were included, and EEG recordings were made during the vigilance test to investigate possible changes in the evoked response potential (ERP) (see previous abstract). 64 healthy subjects were carefully selected, to avoid people with excessive drug consumption or histories of psychiatric or drug-related illness. Three batteries of psychological tests were used to: (1) assess alcohol and drug use patterns; (2) record sleep patterns; (3) measure visual motor performance. Subjects were assigned randomly, in approximately equal numbers, to four groups: (1) placebo, with no alcohol; (2) low alcohol dose (0.5g/kg); (3) medium alcohol dose (0.75g/kg); (4) high alcohol dose (1.0g/kg). Performance on simple reaction time and divided attention tasks decreased acutely as alcohol dose increased, but the dose did not significantly affect any task in the hangover section. The placebo group showed slightly (but not significantly) worse performance than the low dose group on all tasks.
Abstract