Delay discrimination and reversal eyeblink classical conditioning in abstinent chronic alcoholics.

Full Abstract

Evidence has shown that alcoholism leads to volume reductions in brain regions critical for associative learning using the eyeblink classical conditioning paradigm (EBCC). Evidence indicates that cerebellar shrinkage causes impairment in simple forms of EBCC, whereas changes in forebrain structures result in impairment in more complex tasks. In this study, the ability of abstinent alcoholics and matched control participants to acquire learned responses during delay discrimination and discrimination reversal was examined and related to severity of drinking history and neuropsychological performance. During discrimination learning, one tone (CS+) predicted the occurrence of an airpuff (unconditioned stimulus), and another tone (CS-) served as a neutral stimulus; then the significance of the tones was reversed. Alcoholics who learned the initial discrimination were impaired in acquiring the new CS+ after the tones reversed; this is a function that has previously been linked to forebrain structures. It is suggested that a factor important to alcoholic addiction may be the presence of alcoholic-related associative responses that interfere with the ability to learn new more adaptive associations.

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Author information

Author/s: Fortier, Catherine Brawn (CB); Steffen, Elizabeth M (EM); Lafleche, Ginette (G); Venne, Jonathan R (JR); Disterhoft, John F (JF); McGlinchey, Regina E (RE);

Affiliation: Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA. cbrawn(-atsign-)bu.edu

Grants: AG08796 (Agency:United States NIA) ; MH53673 (Agency:United States NIMH) ; R01 AA014205-01A2 (Agency:United States NIAAA)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Neuropsychology (Neuropsychology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Mar; vol 22 (issue 2) : pp 196-208

Dates: Created 2008/03/11; Completed 2008/04/23; Revised 2008/07/02;

PMID: 18331162, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Alcohol Drinking - psychology
Alcoholism - physiopathology; psychology
Cerebellum - physiopathology
Conditioning, Eyelid - physiology
Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Female
Humans

Male
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reversal Learning - physiology
Temperance
Wechsler Scales

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