Ethanol reduces asymmetry of visual rCBF responses

• Visual regional CBF (rCBF) responses were measured in 10 healthy male subjects before and after an ethanol dose of 1 g/kg body weight. This dose induces well-established cerebral vasodilatation. However, significant bilateral occipital increases were found in both conditions. Apparently, the coupling between neuronal activity and rCBF is preserved following ethanol. The occipital and posterior parietal flow increases were, however, larger on the right than the left side in the sober state. During inebriation the asymmetry disappeared, possibly representing a more undifferentiated processing of visual information. We propose that ethanol causes a reduced inhibition of the left posterior cortex and a reduction of right-hemisphere information processing.

Subject headings

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology) (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (exklusive tillämpad psykologi) (hsv//swe)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adult

Analysis of Variance

Cerebrovascular Circulation/*drug effects

Ethanol/blood/*pharmacology

Human

Laterality

Male

Occipital Lobe/blood supply

Osmolar Concentration

Photic Stimulation

Reference Values

Regional Blood Flow/drug effects

Support

Non-U.S. Gov't

Cognitive science

Kognitionsforskning

SOCIAL SCIENCES

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)