The impact of alcohol-induced blackouts on memory in a Scottish based student population

Abstract

Rapid drinking of excessive quantities of alcohol disrupts normal memory functioning and can lead to the experience of an alcohol-induced memory blackout (MBO), meaning that events which occurred while intoxicated may not be recalled once sober. Although instances of extreme binge-drinking and MBOs are prevalent in student populations, there is a paucity of knowledge surrounding the topic. Critically, 1) we do not know what the wider influences on these behaviours may be, specifically for students studying in Scotland, and 2) we also do not know whether these events leave a lasting impact on memory formation and, if so, whether this deficit is temporary. This thesis addressed these issues firstly with a questionnaire which investigated student drinking behaviours, and then with a series of laboratory-based memory studies which participants carried out sober, after a scaled dose of alcohol, and within 20-hours of experiencing a blackout. We found that students in Scotland frequently binge-drink, with a high prevalence of MBOs, influenced by home country, year of study, and possibly by Scottish culture. We also found control and experimental participant groups performed recall and recognition memory tasks with similar behavioural accuracy while sober and that performance dropped but did not differ following alcohol. However, ERP evidence suggested a shift in neural strategy in MBO participants compared to controls. Further, after-blackout performance remained impaired in more cognitively demanding tasks. In sum, evidence suggests that our Scottish-based student population drink to excess, with a large proportion experiencing regular MBOs. Alcohol impairs behavioural memory performance for all, but underlying differences in memory strategy, and a lasting deficit following MBO, can be seen in those who frequently blackout. These findings highlight the importance of further investigating the trajectory of blackout experiences, and any damage they leave in their wake.