FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-79/9

Title and Subtitle: Effects of congener and noncongener alcoholic beverages on a clinical ataxia battery

Report Date: January 1979

Authors: Schroeder DJ, Collins WE

Abstract: It is clear that the ingestion of alcohol can disturb postural measures and it is possible that the effects of alcohol may be manifested at significant stages subsequent to acute intoxication; i.e., during so-called 'hangover' periods. This study was designed to investigate the performance of normally 'heavy' and normally 'light' young male drinkers on an ataxia test battery before and after they drank either a high-congener (bourbon) or low-congener (vodka) alcoholic beverage.

To assess possible long-term effects of alcohol, testing was conducted 1, 3, 5, 9, 24, and 32 hours after drinking. With the exception of one walking test that showed inferior performance 1 hour after drinking and recovery thereafter, the measures of the ataxia test battery were about equally affected, showing decrements from 1 to 3 hours after drinking and a return to a normal plateau by the fifth postdrinking hour. Normally heavy drinkers tended to display less ataxia following drinking than did normally light drinkers. Comparisons of the low- and high-congener beverages failed to reveal any significant differential effects. There were also no indications of any significant impairment on ataxia tests during the hangover period.

Key Words: Ataxia tests, Alcohol effects, Congeners

No. of Pages: 17