Abstract
Recent research has suggested that processes reliant on executive functions are impaired by an alcohol hangover, yet few studies have investigated the effect of hangovers on core executive function processes. Therefore, the current study investigated the effect of hangovers on the three core components of the unity/diversity model of executive functions: the ability to switch attention, update information in working memory, and maintain goals. Thirty-five 18-to-30-year-old non-smoking individuals who reported experiencing a hangover at least once in the previous month participated in this study. They completed tasks measuring switching (number-switching task), updating (n-back task), and goal maintenance (AX Continuous Performance Test, AX-CPT) whilst experiencing a hangover and without a hangover in a ‘naturalistic’ within-subjects crossover design. Participants made more errors in the switching task (p = 0.019), more errors in both the 1- (p < 0.001) and 2-back (p < 0.001) versions of the n-back, and more errors in the AX-CPT (p = 0.007) tasks when experiencing a hangover, compared to the no-hangover condition. These results suggest that an alcohol hangover impairs core executive function processes that are important for everyday behaviours, such as decision-making, planning, and mental flexibility.
Highlights
An alcohol hangover is a combination of mental and physical symptoms, experienced the day after a single episode of heavy drinking, when blood alcohol concentration (BAC) approaches zero [1]
As performance on executive function tasks may be related to an individual’s confidence in his or her ability to complete tasks, and self-efficacy to complete tasks is lower when individuals are experiencing a hangover [12,40], we explored the relationship between self-efficacy and task performance
This study demonstrated that switching, updating, and goal maintenance are all impaired during an alcohol hangover
Summary
An alcohol hangover is a combination of mental and physical symptoms, experienced the day after a single episode of heavy drinking, when blood alcohol concentration (BAC) approaches zero [1]. It is the most common negative consequence of heavy drinking and can impair cognitive processes, such as sustained attention, memory, and psychomotor skills [2,3]. Studies have suggested that performance on tasks of interference control [4,5] and response inhibition [6] is impaired when subjects are experiencing a hangover, suggesting poorer inhibitory control, which may negatively influence decisions around subsequent alcohol use [7] and emotion regulation [8]. It is important to understand how these processes may be influenced the morning after a night of heavy alcohol consumption, i.e., during a hangover
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