The alcohol hangover research group consensus statement on best practice in alcohol hangover research.

Alcohol-induced hangover, defined by a series of symptoms, is the most commonly reported consequence of excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol hangovers contribute to workplace absenteeism, impaired job performance, reduced productivity, poor academic achievement, and may compromise potentially dangerous daily activities such as driving a car or operating heavy machinery. These socioeconomic consequences and health risks of alcohol hangover are much higher when compared to various common diseases and other health risk factors. Nevertheless, unlike alcohol intoxication the hangover has received very little scientific attention and studies have often yielded inconclusive results. Systematic research is important to increase our knowledge on alcohol hangover and its consequences. This consensus paper of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group discusses methodological issues that should be taken into account when performing future alcohol hangover research. Future research should aim to (1) further determine the pathology of alcohol hangover, (2) examine the role of genetics, (3) determine the economic costs of alcohol hangover, (4) examine sex and age differences, (5) develop common research tools and methodologies to study hangover effects, (6) focus on factor that aggravate hangover severity (e.g., congeners), and (7) develop effective hangover remedies.

Association of pathological gambling with depression in Scotland.

Is most research concerning gambling and depression has been conducted on clinical populations, the present study examined the relationship between gambling and depression across a large sample in Scotland in higher education and the community. A questionnaire-based cluster design involved the distribution of the South Oaks Gambling Screen and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale mainly to students and staff of higher educational establishments, with small community and gambling samples also included. Thirty-seven colleges and universities across Scotland participated in the research, with a sample of 2259 people aged sixteen years of age or over (M = 28.9 yr., SD = 13.4) being obtained. It was found that past-year probable pathological gamblers had significantly higher depression than problem gamblers, nonproblem gamblers, and nongamblers. However, when probable pathological gamblers who had sought treatment were omitted from the analysis, the nontreatment-seeking probable pathological gambling group no longer had significantly higher depression than the problem gambling group. Female problem and probable pathological gamblers had particularly high depressive symptomatology, suggesting co-morbid depression may be a prominent feature of problematic female gambling.

The effects of self-administered alcohol-induced 'hangover' in a naturalistic setting on psychomotor and cognitive performance and subjective state.

AIMS: To examine in as naturalistic a setting as possible whether having an alcohol-induced 'hangover' impairs psychomotor and cognitive performance. PARTICIPANTS AND DESIGN: The sample consisted of 71 male and female social drinkers who were tested twice, once at baseline and once after exposure to the study condition. They were randomized into a control group who returned for testing on a prearranged date (n = 33), and a group who were instructed to make arrangements to return the day after a self-determined heavy drinking session (n = 38). Of the 'hangover' group, 13 participants still had a blood alcohol concentration of >1 mg/100 ml at the time of testing and these were analysed separately. All participants were students. MEASUREMENTS: Psychomotor performance was assessed by means of a battery of psychomotor tasks, rate of information processing was tested by the Speed and Capacity of Language Processing Test (SCOLP) and subjective state was assessed by questionnaire measures. FINDINGS: All participants in the 'hangover' group reported subjective and physical symptoms of hangover on the second testing session. Performance was significantly impaired on the hits-key components of the vigilance task, was less accurate on the primary and secondary reaction time tasks and showed greater dispersion in range of ability for participants in the 'acute and hangover' compared to 'control'. Probe memory revealed no significant group effect. Ratings of subjective state revealed significant group differences for the variables 'ability to drive', 'concentrate' and 'react quickly' as well as 'tiredness'. There were no group differences for performance on the SCOLP. CONCLUSION: Hangover had negative effects on self-reported subjective and physical state and subtle effects on performance.

A comparison of the autonomic arousal of frequent, infrequent and non-gamblers while playing fruit machines.

AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to examine differences between frequent, infrequent and non-gamblers in autonomic arousal, as indexed by heart rate, while playing a fruit machine and controlling for the confounding effect of movement. DESIGN: The experiment employed a between-subjects design, with a total of three groups being investigated-two experimental groups (frequent and infrequent gamblers) and a control group (non-gamblers). SETTING: To enhance ecological validity the study took place within an actual gambling setting, in Glasgow city centre. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 63 participants, 21 for each of the three groups, who were matched for age and gender, took part in the study. MEASUREMENTS: In terms of autonomic arousal, measurements were taken using a Pulse Oximeter (Pulsox-3I-Minolta Company Limited Milton Keynes, UK). In addition, a questionnaire was employed to measure levels of gambling severity (SOGS). FINDINGS: Frequent gamblers were found to have significantly higher levels of autonomic arousal than infrequent and non-gamblers, with the frequent gamblers arousal levels continuing to rise after play, unlike the other two groups. Interestingly, novel findings to arise from this research involved the fact that the specialist play characteristics of the fruit machine, such as bonuses, nudges and features, were found to be as arousing as wins. CONCLUSIONS: The main hypothesis was supported, suggesting that arousal is indeed a key factor in fruit machine gambling. The research has value, as few studies have examined specifically the differences between frequent, infrequent and non-gamblers, and no studies have investigated the arousal associated with the actual dynamics of fruit machine play (i.e. bonuses, nudges, features, wins). The arousal associated with modern British fruit machines suggests a high potential for addiction.

Subjective experience and the attentional lapse: task engagement and disengagement during sustained attention.

Three experiments investigated the relationship between subjective experience and attentional lapses during sustained attention. These experiments employed two measures of subjective experience (thought probes and questionnaires) to examine how differences in awareness correspond to variations in both task performance (reaction time and errors) and psycho-physiological measures (heart rate and galvanic skin response). This series of experiments examine these phenomena during the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART, Robertson, Manly, Adrade, Baddeley, & Yiend, 1997). The results suggest we can dissociate between two components of subjective experience during sustained attention: (A) task unrelated thought which corresponds to an absent minded disengagement from the task and (B) a pre-occupation with one's task performance that seems to be best conceptualised as a strategic attempt to deploy attentional resources in response to a perception of environmental demands which exceed ones ability to perform the task. The implications of these findings for our understanding of how awareness is maintained on task relevant material during periods of sustained attention are discussed.