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Thursday, July 9, 2009

The acute effect of low-dose alcohol on working memory during mental arithmetic: II. Changes of nonlinear and linear EEG-complexity in the theta band, heart rate and electrodermal activity
International Journal of Psychophysiology Volume 73, Issue 2, August 2009, Pages 138-142

Nonlinear and linear methods of EEG-complexity analysis and autonomic measures were used to characterize processes accompanying performance in a mental arithmetic task challenged by low (“social”) alcohol doses. It was expected that alcohol in such doses will dampen changes of task-related EEG-synchronization in the theta band, and those of heart rate and electrodermal activity (EDA).

Task-induced significant changes of the Omega-complexity and that of SL indicate increased synchrony in the theta band, probably corresponding to working memory effort. Both of these measures proved to be sensitive for the effect of low alcohol dose although these alcohol-elicited changes were not statistically significant. Task-induced heart rate and EDA increases were further intensified by alcohol probably indicating its activating effect on these autonomic measures in the dose range studied.


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