2658 – Binge Drinking and Everyday Prospective Memory Deficits

Abstract

Introduction:

Binge drinking (BD) has been associated with a range of memory deficits, including prospective memory (PM: remembering future intentions and activities) deficits in the past. However no research to date has distinguished between levels of BD.

Objectives:

To compare heavy binge drinking with non-heavy BD and non-BD groups on objective PM.

Aims:

To compare varying levels of BD with non-BD upon everyday PM.

Methods:

An existing groups design was employed to compare a group of heavy BDs (drinking above 15 units per drinking session), with a group of standard BDs (drinking between 10 - 15 units per drinking session), and a group of non-BDs (drinking less than 5 units per session) on objective PM. The Prospective Remembering Video Procedure (PRVP) was used to assess PM, which required the participant to remember a series of actions (e.g. remember to buy “X”) when they reached specific locations (at the Phone Store) whilst viewing a CD Rom clip of a busy shopping high street. Age, other drug use and mood were also measured as covariates in the study.

Results:

The Non-BD group recalled significantly more action-location combinations on the PRVP than both the ‘standard’ and ‘heavy BD groups, with no significant difference between the latter groups. This was found after controlling for important covariates.

Conclusions:

It appears that BD per se is associated with PM deficits when compared with non-BDs, with heavy BD not adding to the PM deficits observed. Possible reasons and implications are considered further at conference.