Abstract
Sixteen normal male subjects participated in four sessions where they studied a set of pictures followed by either placebo, 0.025, 0.50, or 1.0 ml/kg alcohol. Later, when sober, recognition memory was tested. These doses resulted in peak blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.00, 0.018, 0.034, and 0.067 g/100 ml, respectively. The 1.0 and 0.50 ml/kg doses significantly improved memory for pictures studied before drinking. Alcohol appears to enhance memory directly rather than indirectly via a reduction in interference. It is suggested that a particular phase of the rising blood alcohol curve (0.02–0.03 g/100 ml) facilitates trace consolidation. The facilitating and possibly excitatory effects of alcohol may be important for understanding the rewarding aspects of drinking.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alkana RL, Parker ES (1979) Memory facilitation by post-training injection of ethanol. Psychopharmacology 66:117–119
Buckalew LW, Cartwright GM (1968) General and differential behavioral effects of five ethanol dosages on the albino rat. Physiol Rep 23:1151–1154
Cappell H, Herman C (1972) Alcohol and tension reduction. Q J Stud Alcohol 33:33–64
Carlson RH, Lydic R (1976) The effects of ethanol upon threshold and response rate for self-stimulation. Psychopharmacology 50:61–64
Carpenter JA, Moore OK, Snyder CR, Lisansky FS (1961) Alcohol and higher order problem solving. Q J Stud Alcohol 22:183–222
Carpenter JA, Ross BM (1965) Effect of alcohol on short-term memory. Q J Stud Alcohol 21:561–579
Dolce G, Decker H (1972) The effects of ethanol on cortical and subcortical electrical activity in cats. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol 3:523–534
Evarts EV, Fleming TC, Etienne M, Posternak JM (1961) Action de quelques anèsthetiques sur le cycle d'éxitabilité du cortex visuel du chat. Helv Physiol Acta 19:70–83
Jones BM (1973) Memory impairment of the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. J Abnorm Psychol 82:24–32
Kakihana R, Noble EP, Butte JC (1968) Corticosterone response to ethanol in inbred strains of mice. Nature 218:360–361
Kalant H (1975) Direct effects of ethanol on the nervous system. Fed Proc 34:1930–1941
Keppel G (1972) Forgetting. In: Duncan CP, Sechrest L, Melton AW (eds) Human memory: Festschrift for Benton J. Underwood. Appleton Century Crofts, New York, pp 83–109
Lewis EG, Dustman RE, Beck EC (1969) The effect of alcohol on sensory phenomena and cognitive and motor tasks. Q J Stud Alcohol 30:618–633
Linkola J, Ylikahri R, Fyhrquist F, Wallenius M (1978) Plasma vasopressin in ethanol intoxication and hangover. Acta Physiol Scand (Copenh) 104:180–187
McGaugh IL (1966) Time-dependent processes in memory storage. Science 153:1351–1358
McGaugh JL, Dawson RG (1971) Modification of memory storage processes. Behav Sci 16:45–63
McGaugh JL, Gold PE, Van Buskirk R, Haycock J (1975) Modulating influences of hormones and catecholamines on memory storage processes. In: Gispin WH, Greidanus TBvW. Bohus B, de Wied D (eds) Hormones, homeostasis and the brain. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 151–162
Nestoros JN (1980) Ethanol specifically potentiates GABA-mediated neutrotransmission of feline cerbral cortex. Science 209:708–710
Parker ES, Birnbaum IM, Noble EP (1976) Alcohol and memory: Storage and state-dependency. J Verb Learn Verb Behav 15:691–702
Parker ES, Birnbaum IM, Weingartner H, Hartley JT, Stillman RC, Wyatt RJ (1980) Retrograde enhancement of human memory with alcohol. Psychopharmacology 69:219–222
Pohorecky LA (1977) Biphasic action of ethanol. Biobehav Rev 1:231–240
Postman L (1972) Transfer, interference and forgetting. In: Kling JW, Riggs LA (eds) Woodworth and Schlosberg's experimental psychology: Learning, memory and motivation, Vol. 2. Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, pp 1019–1132
Ritchie JM (1975) The aliphatic alcohols. In: Goodman LS, Gilman A (eds) The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. MacMillan, New York, pp 137–151
Sanders B (1976) Sensitivity to low doses of ethanol and pentobarbital in mice selected for sensitivity to hypnotic doses of ethanol. J Comp Physiol Psychol 90:394–397
Seevers MH (1968) Psychopharmacological elements of drug dependence. JAMA 206:1263–1266
Shuckit MA, Rayses V (1979) Ethanol ingestion differences in blood acetaldehyde concentrations in relatives of alcoholics and controls. Science 203:54–56
Sitaram N, Weingartner H, Gillin JC (1978) Human serial learning: Enhancement with arecholine and choline and impairment with scopolamine. Science 201:274–276
Summerfield A, Steinberg H (1957) Reducing interference in forgetting. Q J Exp Psychol 9:146–154
Vogel-Sprott M (1972) Alcoholism and learning. In: Kissin B, Begleiter H (eds) Biology of alcoholism: Physiology and behavior, vol. 2. Plenum, New York, pp 485–506
Wallgren H, Barry H, III (1970) Actions of alcohol, vol I. Elsevier, New York, pp 275–400
Weingartner H, Sitaram N, Gillin JC (1979) The role of the cholinergic nervous system in memory consolidation. Bull Psychonom Soc 13:9–11
Wickelgren WA (1975) Alcoholic intoxication and memory storage dynamics. Mem Cognit 3:385–389
de Wied D (1974) Pituitary-adrenal system hormones and behavior. In: Schmitt FO, Worden FG (eds) The neurosciences. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 653–666
Winer BJ (1962) Statistical principles in experimental design. McGraw Hill, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Parker, E.S., Morihisa, J.M., Wyatt, R.J. et al. The alcohol facilitation effect on memory: A dose-response study. Psychopharmacology 74, 88–92 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431763
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431763