par Noël, Xavier ;Campanella, Salvatore ;Pelc, Isidore ;Verbanck, Paul
Référence Acta clinica Belgica (Ed. multilingue), 65, 1, page (68-74)
Publication Publié, 2010
Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : Alcohol consumption may alter the behaviour of a drinker through several different mechanisms that lead to transient changes in the cognitive functioning of the drinker. In some cases, alcohol users and abusers begin to suffer from a disorder characterised by a certain "myopia" for future consequences, where the negative consequences associated with drinking (e.g., relationships, medical problems, etc.) do not lead to drinking moderation or cessation. Interestingly, this abnormal cognitive functioning is often seen in these individuals even when they are sober. This paper reviews evidence in support of the notion that the acute effects of alcohol disrupt primarily at least three key cognitive processes that are critical for flexible interaction with a changing environment: (1) the response to alcohol cues, which acquire new properties of quickly grasping attention and generating strong motivation to have a drink; (2) the individual's ability to exert control over this tendency to seek reward, and to volitionally inhibit or suppress a prepotent responding to alcohol cues; and (3) the individual's ability to detect an error when an incorrect response is initiated, or to detect action slips, so that for instance when driving a car is intended, the stopping of alcohol consumption becomes difficult. Finally, cognitive and brain electrophysiological aspects of binge drinking are discussed. In order to improve prevention, the identification of susceptibility factors to these alcohol effects should be challenged in further investigations.