A comparison of the acute effects of a low dose of alcohol on mood and performance of healthy volunteers and subjects with upper respiratory tract illnesses

Smith, A.P, Whitney, H, Thomas, M, Brockman, P and Perry, K (1995) 'A comparison of the acute effects of a low dose of alcohol on mood and performance of healthy volunteers and subjects with upper respiratory tract illnesses.' Journal of Psychopharmacology, 9 (3). pp. 267-272. ISSN 0271-0749

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026988119500900310

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to determine whether a low dose of alcohol produced different behavioural effects in healthy volunteers to those suffering from an upper respiratory tract illness. Ninety-nine subjects were tested, with 48 subjects being assigned to the alcohol condition and 51 to the juice only condition. A dose of 1.5 ml of vodka per kg body weight was used and the alcohol manipulation was double-blind. Approximately half of the subjects in each condition were healthy and the others had upper respiratory tract illnesses, probably colds. Subjects with colds reported an increase in negative affect and were slower at performing psychomotor tasks. Few main effects of alcohol were obtained. Of major interest were the interactions between health status and alcohol conditions. The alcohol improved the mood of healthy subjects but produced greater negative moods in subjects with colds. Similarly, performance of selective and sustained attention tasks showed different effects of alcohol in healthy and ill subjects.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: alcohol, upper respiratory tract illness, mood, mental performance
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Q Science > QP Physiology
R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Divisions: School of Sciences
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1177/026988119500900310
Date Deposited: 05 Dec 2016 16:25
Last Modified: 15 Aug 2021 09:43
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/8466
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