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2007-8-31 15:21:08 |
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New research shows that excessive drinking among college students may cause decreased decision-making abilities. This binge drinking may lead to neurocognitive defects among non-alcoholics. The June issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research said in an article by University of Amsterdam researcher Dr. Anna E. Goudriaan that binge drinking not associated with alcoholism is related to disadvantageous decision making among college age people regardless of impulsivity. The study analyzed how different groups of binge drinkers, defined as having more than five drinks in one sitting, at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where the study was conducted, made decisions. After completing surveys about their drinking histories over the course of four years the students were divided into four groups for the study. The first group said that they binge drank once or not at all over the past 30 days; the second group binge drank moderately; the third showed an increase in their tendency to binge drink over the course of the study; and the fourth group binge drank heavily throughout the study. Participants in the chronic high binge drinking group performed worse on the gambling task, on average, than those who drank less, and the earlier they had begun binge drinking, the worse they fared. According to the journal there is a correlation between binge drinking and disadvantageous decision-making patterns. However the researchers were not able to determine whether impaired decision making abilities cause heavy drinking among non-alcoholics or vice versa. The binge drinkers who participated in the study tended to favor short term rewards despite long term consequences as opposed to long term rewards. The scientists found that the neurocognitive damage and detrimental effects to decision making in the binge drinkers was similar to what is seen in alcoholics. The University scientists used impulsivity measures, decision making tests and the data concerning each group’s alcohol use to quantify the changes in decision making patterns among light to heavy binge drinkers. They also employed the Iowa Gambling Task, a computer card game, to gather data. The goal of the IGT is to win as much money as possible. In the game four decks of cards are presented on the screen and the participant must choose a card from one of the four decks. Each time a subject chooses a card he or she can win or lose money. Decks A and B have a total penalty of $1250 for every ten cards; C and D have a total penalty of $250 for every ten cards. Selecting more from decks C and D is indicative of good decision making because it shows more focus on long term rewards as opposed to the more risky short term rewards of decks A and B. The heavier binge drinkers tended to favor the larger short term gain of decks A and B despite the fact that the penalties added up to five times the penalties of the two safer decks. The study made no conclusions about the long term negative effects of binge drinking during adolescence. |
