GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ACUTE PSYCHOMOTOR, COGNITIVE, AND PHARMACOKINETIC RESPONSE TO ALCOHOL

This study investigated gender differences in acute response to alcohol. After practising several cognitive and psychomotor tasks while sober, male and female social drinkers were administered a 0.65g/kg dose of ethannol. Subjects were tested on both the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve on measures of divided attention, short-term memory, body sway, pursuit tracking ability, and subjective level of intoxication. Blood alcohol level (BAL) was sampled frequently throughout the procedure. Females achieved consistently higher BALs than did males throughout, due mainly to higher BALs among women in the middle stage of the menstrual cycle. Women not using birth control medications also attained higher BALs than did males. When gender differences in BALs were controlled statistically, only memory functioning distinguished the groups: males recovered memory functioning more quickly on the descending limb of the blood alcohol curve than did females. Stage of menstrual cycle or use of birth control medications did not influence psychomotor or cognitive performance while women were intoxicated.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03064603
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • Niaura, R S
  • Nathan, P E
  • Frankenstein, W
  • Shapiro, A P
  • Brick, J
• Publication Date: 1987

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 345-356
• Serial:
  • Addictive Behaviors
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0306-4603
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03064603

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol use; Blood alcohol levels; Cognitive impairment; Drug effects; Females; Gender; Males; Motor skills; Persons with disabilities
• Uncontrolled Terms: Psychomotor performance
• Old TRIS Terms: Pharmacologic effect
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00478964
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1989 12:00AM