Efecto cognitivo del día posterior de ingesta de licor.

September 28, 2018

Hangovers Might Herald More Impairment Than We Thought

Claire Wilcox, MD reviewing Gunn C et al. Addiction 2018 Aug 25

Problems in cognitive and psychomotor performance are highlighted in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Studies on whether hangovers affect cognitive and psychomotor skills have yielded mixed findings. A recent consensus definition for hangover ("mental and physical symptoms, experienced the day after a single episode of heavy drinking, starting when blood alcohol concentration approaches zero"; Curr Drug Abuse Rev 2016; 9:148) inspired investigators to use this definition to guide inclusion criteria for a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of the functional effects of hangover.

For the qualitative systematic review, the researchers identified 19 naturalistic and experimental studies that measured participants' blood alcohol concentrations at <0.02; 11 studies had sufficient data for meta-analysis.

Sustained attention (the ability to focus on an activity or stimulus over a long period of time) was impaired during hangover, according to both systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found impairments in short- and long-term memory and psychomotor speed. Effects on long-term memory were observed in studies where learning took place after hangover onset but not in those where learning occurred before hangovers (indicating potential effects on memory formation rather than retention). In three "real-life" driving simulation studies, significant next-day impairment was seen, but a meta-analysis was not conducted on these data.

COMMENT

Converging evidence indicates that hangover might cause impairments in several cognitive domains, including driving abilities. There were few driving-simulation studies; however, the finding seems reasonable because driving ability involves sustained attention and psychomotor speed, which are also worsened by hangover. Hangovers might also affect performance in the workplace, especially jobs involving heavy machinery or concentration. Finally, the sensitivity of memory formation to hangover effects highlights the importance of public health interventions for heavy drinking in university settings. Patients who drink heavily enough to experience subjective impairment the next day should be educated about potential consequences.

EDITOR DISCLOSURES AT TIME OF PUBLICATION

Disclosures for Claire Wilcox, MD at time of publication

Equity	Mannkind Corporation
Grant/Research Support	NIH

CITATION(S):

Gunn C et al. A systematic review of the next-day effects of heavy alcohol consumption on cognitive performance. Addiction 2018 Aug 25; [e-pub]. (https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14404)

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Skin Care Physicians of Costa Rica

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