Alcohol-induced impairment and enhancement of memory: A test of the interference theory

Many studies have found cognitive deficits related to alcohol consumption. However, few studies have studied cognitive performance when alcohol was administered after the to-be-remembered information was presented with memory testing occurring when participants are once again sober. The present study examined effects of alcohol on cognitive performance using a prose recall task during acute intoxication and a post-trial recall task for prose passages that had been presented before intoxication. Fifty-one men were given either 2.0 g/kg of 100 proof (50% absolute ethanol) vodka or a placebo. In the present study, evidence was found of acute alcohol impairment in prose memory, along with alcohol facilitation of memory on a post-trial task.