Mark T Fillmore

Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY, USA

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Publications (80)230.68 Total impact

  • Article: Reduced Acute Recovery from Alcohol Impairment in Adults with ADHD.
    Walter Roberts, Richard Milich, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: RATIONALE: Prior research has found that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show increased sensitivity to the impairing effects of alcohol (Weafer et al., Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 17: 113-121, 2009). However, these studies have focused exclusively on the ascending limb of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) curve, and it is unclear whether these adults continue to show increased sensitivity during the later phase of the dose as BAC is declining. OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that those with ADHD would display increased response to alcohol during the ascending limb of the BAC curve and less recovery from the impairing effects during the descending limb. METHODS: Adult social drinkers with ADHD and control adults completed measures of motor coordination, reaction time (RT), and subjective intoxication twice following 0.64 g/kg alcohol and placebo. The measures were administered during the ascending limb of the BAC curve and again during the descending limb. RESULTS: During the ascending limb, alcohol reduced motor coordination, slowed RT, and increased self-reports of subjective intoxication. Those with ADHD displayed greater impairment of motor coordination compared with controls. During the descending limb, controls reported diminished subjective intoxication and showed recovery from the impairing effects of alcohol on both their motor coordination and their RT. Those with ADHD showed reduced subjective intoxication and faster RT during this time, but they did not recover motor control. CONCLUSIONS: The protracted time course of motor impairment in adults with ADHD despite reductions in subjective intoxication may contribute to poor decision making and diminished behavioral control in this group.
    Psychopharmacologia 02/2013; · 4.08 Impact Factor
  • Article: Letter to the Editor in Response to The Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks Debate: Masking the Facts!
    Cecile A Marczinski, Mark T Fillmore
    Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research 02/2013; · 3.34 Impact Factor
  • Article: Constraints on information processing capacity in adults with ADHD.
    Walter Roberts, Richard Milich, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Objective: Researchers in the cognitive sciences have demonstrated the existence of processing capacity bottlenecks in the human brain. These capacity bottlenecks restrict our ability to process and act on environmental information. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show reduced capacity of working memory and response selection mechanisms. Method: Thirty-eight young adults with ADHD and 33 comparison adults were assessed using two measures of processing capacity. A dual choice-response task (psychological refractory period [PRP] task) measured response selection capacity, and an n-back task measured working memory capacity. These tasks measured capacity by assessing the degree to which increasing processing load disrupted performance. Results: Results confirmed that performance declined as cognitive load was increased, and this was true for both groups on each task. On the PRP task, the performance decline resulting from increased cognitive load was more pronounced in the ADHD group than in the control group, indicative of reduced response selection capacity in the ADHD group. On the n-back task, however, there was no group difference in the degree to which increasing processing load disrupted performance. Conclusions: Results indicate that adults with ADHD show a specific capacity reduction of response selection. This evidence suggests a dissociation between working memory and response selection capacities, and it may have implications for understanding cognitive dysfunction in adults with ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
    Neuropsychology 11/2012; 26(6):695-703. · 3.82 Impact Factor
  • Article: Lack of tolerance to the disinhibiting effects of alcohol in heavy drinkers.
    Melissa A Miller, Lon R Hays, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: RATIONALE: Alcohol tolerance is observed as a diminished response to a given dose as a function of repeated administrations of the drug. Research has consistently shown that heavier drinkers display reduced reactions to alcohol (i.e., tolerance) compared with lighter drinkers. However, the majority of this work has focused primarily on measures of motor performance, whereas the development of tolerance to alcohol's impairing effects on cognitive processes, such as inhibitory mechanisms of behavioral control, remains relatively unexplored. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between drinking habits and the degree to which alcohol affects drinkers' inhibitory control and motor coordination. METHODS: Fifty-two non-dependent drinkers reported their recent drinking patterns. Their inhibitory control and motor coordination were measured in response to placebo and 0.65 g/kg alcohol. RESULTS: Alcohol significantly impaired inhibitory control and motor coordination compared with placebo. Moreover, greater quantity and frequency of recent consumption predicted less alcohol impairment of motor coordination. However, there was no relationship between recent drinking habits and the degree of impairment of inhibitory control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that tolerance to the disinhibiting effects of alcohol might not readily develop as a result of recent, heavy drinking.
    Psychopharmacologia 07/2012; · 4.08 Impact Factor
  • Article: Acute Alcohol Effects on Attentional Bias in Heavy and Moderate Drinkers.
    Jessica Weafer, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Heavy drinkers show an increased attentional bias to alcohol-related stimuli compared to moderate drinkers, and this bias is thought to promote motivation for alcohol consumption (Field & Cox, 2008). Studies have begun to examine acute alcohol effects on attentional bias; however, little is known regarding how these effects might differ based on drinker type. Further, the degree to which attentional bias in response to alcohol is associated with excessive alcohol consumption remains unexplored. For the current study, 20 heavy drinkers and 20 moderate drinkers completed a visual probe task in response to placebo and two active doses of alcohol (0.45g/kg and 0.65g/kg). Participants' eye-movements were monitored and attentional bias was calculated as the difference in time spent focused on alcohol compared to neutral images. Participants' alcohol consumption was assessed by a timeline follow-back calendar and a laboratory ad lib consumption task. Results showed that heavy drinkers displayed significantly greater attentional bias than did moderate drinkers following placebo. However, heavy drinkers displayed a dose-dependent decrease in attentional bias following alcohol, whereas the drug had no effect in moderate drinkers. Individual differences in attentional bias under placebo were strongly associated with both self-reported and laboratory alcohol consumption, yet bias following alcohol administration did not predict either measure of consumption. These findings suggest that attentional bias is strongest before a drinking episode begins. As such, an attentional bias might be most influential in terms of initiation of alcohol consumption, and less of a factor in promoting continued consumption within the drinking episode. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
    Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 06/2012; · 2.09 Impact Factor
  • Article: Mixing an Energy Drink with an Alcoholic Beverage Increases Motivation for More Alcohol in College Students.
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    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There has been a dramatic rise in the consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmEDs) in social drinkers. It has been suggested that AmED beverages might lead individuals to drink greater quantities of alcohol. This experiment was designed to investigate whether the consumption of AmEDs would alter alcohol priming (i.e., increasing ratings of wanting another drink) compared with alcohol alone. METHODS: Participants (n = 80) of equal gender attended 1 session where they were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 doses (0.91 ml/kg vodka, 1.82 ml/kg energy drink, 0.91 ml/kg vodka mixed with 1.82 ml/kg energy drink [AmED], or a placebo beverage). Alcohol-induced priming of the motivation to drink was assessed by self-reported ratings on the Desire for Drug questionnaire. RESULTS: The priming dose of alcohol increased the subjective ratings of "desire" for more alcohol, consistent with previous research that small doses of alcohol can increase the motivation to drink. Furthermore, higher desire ratings over time were observed with AmEDs compared with alcohol alone. Finally, ratings of liking the drink were similar for the alcohol and AmED conditions. CONCLUSIONS: An energy drink may elicit increased alcohol priming. This study provides laboratory evidence that AmED beverages may lead to greater motivation to drink versus the same amount of alcohol consumed alone.
    Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research 06/2012; · 3.34 Impact Factor
  • Article: Comparison of alcohol impairment of behavioral and attentional inhibition.
    Jessica Weafer, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Despite the wealth of studies demonstrating the impairing effects of alcohol on behavioral inhibition, less is known regarding effects of the drug on attentional inhibition (i.e., the ability to ignore distracting stimuli in the environment in order to focus attention on relevant information). The current study examined alcohol impairment of both behavioral and attentional inhibition, as well as potential associations between the two mechanisms of inhibitory control. Men (n=27) and women (n=21) performed a measure of behavioral inhibition (cued go/no-go task) and a measure of attentional inhibition (delayed ocular return task) following three doses of alcohol: 0.65g/kg, 0.45g/kg, and 0.0g/kg (placebo). Alcohol impaired both behavioral and attentional inhibition relative to placebo; however, correlational analyses revealed no associations between measures of behavioral and attentional inhibition following any dose. Additionally, men committed more inhibitory failures on the behavioral inhibition task, whereas women committed more inhibitory failures on the attentional inhibition task. These findings suggest that behavioral and attentional inhibition are equally sensitive to the impairing effects of alcohol, yet represent distinct components of inhibitory control. Additionally, the observed gender differences in control of behavior and attention could have important implications regarding negative consequences associated with alcohol-induced disinhibition in men and women.
    Drug and alcohol dependence 06/2012; 126(1-2):176-82. · 3.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: Alcohol-related stimuli reduce inhibitory control of behavior in drinkers.
    Jessica Weafer, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Poor behavioral control and heightened attentional bias toward alcohol-related stimuli have independently received considerable attention in regard to their roles in alcohol abuse. Theoretical accounts have begun to speculate as to potential reciprocal interactions between these two mechanisms that might promote excessive alcohol consumption, yet experimental evidence is lacking. The objective of the study was to integrate these two lines of research through the development of a novel laboratory task that examines the degree to which alcohol cues serve to disrupt mechanisms of behavioral control. Fifty adult drinkers were recruited to perform the attentional bias-behavioral activation (ABBA) task. The ABBA task, an adaptation of traditional cued go/no-go tasks, is a reaction time model that measures the degree to which alcohol-related stimuli can increase behavioral activation of a drinker and reduce the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses. Participants also completed a novel measure of attentional bias, the scene inspection paradigm (SIP), that measures fixation time on alcohol content imbedded in complex scenes. As hypothesized, the proportion of inhibitory failures on the ABBA task was significantly higher following alcohol images compared to neutral images. Correlational analyses showed that heightened attentional bias on the SIP was associated with greater response activation following alcohol images on the ABBA task. These findings suggest that alcohol stimuli serve to disrupt mechanisms of behavioral control, and that heightened attentional bias is associated with greater disruption of control mechanisms following alcohol images.
    Psychopharmacologia 02/2012; 222(3):489-98. · 4.08 Impact Factor
  • Article: Drinking to distraction: does alcohol increase attentional bias in adults with ADHD?
    Walter Roberts, Mark T Fillmore, Richard Milich
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    ABSTRACT: Previous research has shown that social drinkers continue to show attentional bias toward alcohol-related stimuli even after consuming a moderate dose of alcohol. In contrast, little is known about how alcohol acutely affects attentional bias in groups at risk to develop alcohol-related problems, such as adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Such individuals may show increased attentional bias following alcohol relative to nonclinical controls. The present study tested this hypothesis by examining acute alcohol effects on attentional bias in 20 social drinkers with ADHD and 20 social drinkers with no history of ADHD. Participants performed a visual-probe task after receiving the following doses of alcohol: 0.64 g/kg, 0.32 g/kg, and 0.0 g/kg (placebo). Those in the ADHD group showed increased attentional bias under active alcohol doses, whereas attentional bias was similar across doses in the control group. Attentional bias predicted ad libitum alcohol consumption during a taste-rating session. This relation was observed only in the ADHD group. These findings indicate that an acute alcohol dose increases attentional bias in adults with ADHD. Further, attentional bias appears to be a predictor of ad libitum consumption in this group.
    Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 11/2011; 20(2):107-17. · 2.58 Impact Factor
  • Article: Linking impulsivity and inhibitory control using manual and oculomotor response inhibition tasks.
    Walter Roberts, Mark T Fillmore, Richard Milich
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    ABSTRACT: Separate cognitive processes govern the inhibitory control of manual and oculomotor movements. Despite this fundamental distinction, little is known about how these inhibitory control processes relate to more complex domains of behavioral functioning. This study sought to determine how these inhibitory control mechanisms relate to broadly defined domains of impulsive behavior. Thirty adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 28 comparison adults performed behavioral measures of inhibitory control and completed impulsivity inventories. Results suggest that oculomotor inhibitory control, but not manual inhibitory control, is related to specific domains of self-reported impulsivity. This finding was limited to the ADHD group; no significant relations between inhibitory control and impulsivity were found in comparison adults. These results highlight the heterogeneity of inhibitory control processes and their differential relations to different facets of impulsivity.
    Acta psychologica 11/2011; 138(3):419-28. · 2.19 Impact Factor
  • Article: Acute tolerance to alcohol in at-risk binge drinkers.
    Mark T Fillmore, Jessica Weafer
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    ABSTRACT: Studies of the impairing effects of alcohol on behavior often show greater tolerance in heavy drinkers compared with light drinkers, suggesting a causal link between heavy consumption and tolerance. Tolerance also develops during the time course of a single drinking episode, and this "acute tolerance" might play an important role in the escalation to heavy drinking. The present study examined the development of acute tolerance to the impairing effects of alcohol on motor coordination and inhibitory control in a group of at-risk binge drinkers (n = 20) and a group of nonrisk moderate drinkers (n = 20). Participants performed the testing battery in response to placebo and a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) twice at comparable blood alcohol concentrations (BACs): once on the ascending limb and once on the descending limb of the blood alcohol curve. Results showed marked acute tolerance to the impairing effects of alcohol on motor coordination in the at-risk drinkers. By contrast, no recovery of motor skill was observed in the nonrisk drinkers. Regarding inhibitory control, both groups remained impaired on both the ascending and descending limbs, indicating no acute tolerance in either group. The findings suggest that at-risk binge drinkers display a faster recovery in their ability to execute versus inhibit action under alcohol. Such an "activational bias" of behavior could account for their continued alcohol consumption and impulsive behaviors while intoxicated, especially as BAC begins to decline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).
    Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 10/2011; · 2.09 Impact Factor
  • Article: Effects of energy drinks mixed with alcohol on information processing, motor coordination and subjective reports of intoxication.
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    ABSTRACT: The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) has become a popular and controversial practice among young people. Increased rates of impaired driving and injuries have been associated with AmED consumption. The purpose of this study was to examine if the consumption of AmED alters cognitive processing and subjective measures of intoxication compared with the consumption of alcohol alone. Eighteen participants (nine men and nine women) attended four test sessions where they received one of four doses in random order (0.65 g/kg alcohol, 3.57 ml/kg energy drink, AmED, or a placebo beverage). Performance on a psychological refractory period (PRP) task was used to measure dual-task information processing and performance on the Purdue pegboard task was used to measure simple and complex motor coordination following dose administration. In addition, various subjective measures of stimulation, sedation, impairment, and level of intoxication were recorded. The results indicated that alcohol slowed dual-task information processing and impaired simple and complex motor coordination. The coadministration of the energy drink with alcohol did not alter the alcohol-induced impairment on these objective measures. For subjective effects, alcohol increased various ratings indicative of feelings of intoxication. More importantly, coadministration of the energy drink with alcohol reduced perceptions of mental fatigue and enhanced feelings of stimulation compared to alcohol alone. In conclusion, AmED may contribute to a high-risk scenario for a drinker. The mix of behavioral impairment with reduced fatigue and enhanced stimulation may lead AmED consumers to erroneously perceive themselves as better able to function than is actually the case.
    Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 10/2011; 20(2):129-38. · 2.58 Impact Factor
  • Article: Acute tolerance to alcohol impairment of behavioral and cognitive mechanisms related to driving: drinking and driving on the descending limb.
    Jessica Weafer, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Alcohol effects on behavioral and cognitive mechanisms influence impaired driving performance and decisions to drive after drinking (Barry 1973; Moskowitz and Robinson 1987). To date, research has focused on the ascending limb of the blood alcohol curve, and there is little understanding of how acute tolerance to impairment of these mechanisms might influence driving behavior on the descending limb. To provide an integrated examination of the degree to which alcohol impairment of motor coordination and inhibitory control contributes to driving impairment and decisions to drive on the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. Social-drinking adults (N = 20) performed a testing battery that measured simulated driving performance and willingness to drive, as well as mechanisms related to driving: motor coordination (grooved pegboard), inhibitory control (cued go/no-go task), and subjective intoxication. Performance was tested in response to placebo and a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) twice at comparable blood alcohol concentrations: once on the ascending limb and again on the descending limb. Impaired motor coordination and subjective intoxication showed acute tolerance, whereas driving performance and inhibitory control showed no recovery from impairment. Greater motor impairment was associated with poorer driving performance under alcohol, and poorer inhibitory control was associated with more willingness to drive. Findings suggest that acute tolerance to impairment of motor coordination is insufficient to promote recovery of driving performance and that the persistence of alcohol-induced disinhibition might contribute to risky decisions to drive on the descending limb.
    Psychopharmacologia 09/2011; 220(4):697-706. · 4.08 Impact Factor
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    Article: Defining "binge" drinking as five drinks per occasion or drinking to a .08% BAC: which is more sensitive to risk?
    Mark T Fillmore, Rebecca Jude
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    ABSTRACT: Heavy episodic or "binge" drinking is commonly defined as drinking 4-5 drinks per occasion (5/4 definition) or drinking that results in a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08%. The present study compared the validity of each binge definition as an indicator of at-risk, problem drinking. Two hundred and fifty-one college students were classified as nonbinge drinkers or as binge drinkers based on the 5/4 definition or the .08% BAC definition. The two definitions of binge drinking were examined in terms of their sensitivity and specificity as indicators of alcohol-related problems as determined by scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Over half the sample (56%) were at-risk drinkers according to the AUDIT. The .08% definition detected only one-half of these individuals. Gender differences were also evident. Female binge drinkers actually achieved significantly higher estimated BACs per episode than their male binge drinking counterparts. The findings suggest that drinking to a subthreshold BAC (ie, <.08%) is not sufficient to avoid alcohol-related problems, and that total quantity (ie, total standard drinks) per occasion might contribute to risk independent of the BAC achieved during drinking episodes. The findings also highlight the importance of considering frequency of consumption in determining risky drinking versus relying solely on quantity measures. 
    American Journal on Addictions 09/2011; 20(5):468-75. · 1.74 Impact Factor
  • Article: Effects of energy drinks mixed with alcohol on behavioral control: risks for college students consuming trendy cocktails.
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    ABSTRACT: There has been a dramatic rise in the consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) in young people. AmED have been implicated in risky drinking practices and greater accidents and injuries have been associated with their consumption. Despite the increased popularity of these beverages (e.g., Red Bull and vodka), there is little laboratory research examining how the effects of AmED differ from alcohol alone. This experiment was designed to investigate if the consumption of AmED alters neurocognitive and subjective measures of intoxication compared with the consumption of alcohol alone. Participants (n=56) attended 1 session where they were randomly assigned to receive one of 4 doses (0.65 g/kg alcohol, 3.57 ml/kg energy drink, AmED, or a placebo beverage). Performance on a cued go/no-go task was used to measure the response of inhibitory and activational mechanisms of behavioral control following dose administration. Subjective ratings of stimulation, sedation, impairment, and level of intoxication were recorded. Alcohol alone impaired both inhibitory and activational mechanisms of behavioral control, as evidenced by increased inhibitory failures and increased response times compared to baseline performance. Coadministration of the energy drink with alcohol counteracted some of the alcohol-induced impairment of response activation, but not response inhibition. For subjective effects, alcohol increased ratings of stimulation, feeling the drink, liking the drink, impairment, and level of intoxication, and alcohol decreased the rating of ability to drive. Coadministration of the energy drink with alcohol increased self-reported stimulation, but resulted in similar ratings of the other subjective effects as when alcohol was administered alone. An energy drink appears to alter some of the objective and subjective impairing effects of alcohol, but not others. Thus, AmED may contribute to a high-risk scenario for the drinker. The mix of impaired behavioral inhibition and enhanced stimulation is a combination that may make AmED consumption riskier than alcohol consumption alone.
    Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research 07/2011; 35(7):1282-92. · 3.34 Impact Factor
  • Article: Does response variability predict distractibility among adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?
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    ABSTRACT: Increased intraindividual variability in response time (RTSD) has been observed reliably in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has often been used as a measure of inattention. RTSD is assumed to reflect attentional lapses and distractibility, though evidence for the validity of this connection is lacking. We assessed whether RTSD is an indicator of inattention by comparing RTSD on the stop-signal task (SST) with performance on the delayed oculomotor response (DOR) task, a measure of distractibility. Participants included 30 adults with ADHD and 28 controls. Participants completed the SST and the DOR task, which measured subjects' ability to maintain attention and avoid distraction by inhibiting reflexive saccades toward distractors. On the SST, the ADHD group was slower to inhibit than were controls, indicating poorer inhibitory control in ADHD. The ADHD group also displayed slower reaction times (RTs), greater RTSD, and more omission errors. On the DOR task, the ADHD group displayed more premature saccades (i.e., greater distractibility) than did controls. Greater variability in RT was associated with increased distraction on the DOR task, but only in ADHD participants. Results suggest that RTSD is linked to distractibility among adults with ADHD and support the use of RTSD as a valid measure of inattention in ADHD.
    Psychological Assessment 03/2011; 23(2):427-36. · 2.99 Impact Factor
  • Article: Persistence of attentional bias toward alcohol-related stimuli in intoxicated social drinkers.
    Melissa A Miller, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Although attentional bias to alcohol-related stimuli has been identified as a potentially important factor in initiating a drinking episode, little is known about whether it persists once drinking has begun. Chief among the measures of attentional bias is the visual probe task, which requires the ability to respond quickly and fixate on objects. Alcohol is well recognized for impairing both of these abilities, which could undermine the reliable detection of attentional bias in intoxicated individuals. The purpose of the present study was to determine if attentional bias toward alcohol-related images can still be observed under alcohol even at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) sufficient to disrupt reaction time (RT) and basic ocular functions. The present study employed a within-subject design to test the effects of three doses of alcohol (0.0 g/kg, 0.32 g/kg, and 0.64 g/kg) on attentional bias toward alcohol-related images in a group of 20 social drinkers using a visual probe task. Alcohol's effects on simple RT and ocular functions were also assessed. Attentional bias was observed by participants' fixations toward alcohol-related stimuli following alcohol administration. Alcohol also impaired oculomotor functions as evident by decreased accuracy and speed of saccades. The findings indicate that attentional bias can be detected even at BACs above 80 mg/100 ml that disrupt oculomotor functions that are considered fundamental to visual search tasks.
    Drug and alcohol dependence 02/2011; 117(2-3):184-9. · 3.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: Behavioral components of impulsivity predict alcohol consumption in adults with ADHD and healthy controls.
    Jessica Weafer, Richard Milich, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: The degree to which distinct behavioral components of impulsivity predict alcohol consumption is as yet not well-understood. Further, the possibility that this relation might be more pronounced in groups characterized by heightened impulsivity (i.e., individuals with ADHD) has not been tested. The current study examined the degree to which three specific behavioral components of impulsivity (i.e., poor response inhibition, poor attentional inhibition, and increased risk-taking) were associated with quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption in a group of young adult social drinkers with ADHD (n = 33) and in a comparison control group (n = 21). Participants performed the delayed ocular return task (attentional inhibition), the cued go/no-go task (behavioral inhibition), and the balloon analogue risk task (risk-taking). Both poor behavioral inhibition and greater risk-taking were related to greater quantity of consumption in the entire sample, whereas poor attentional inhibition was related to greater quantity specifically among those with ADHD. By contrast, only risk-taking was associated with frequency of consumption, and this was found specifically in the control group. These findings provide important information regarding the potential role of distinct behavioral components of impulsivity in drinking behavior, and highlight unique relevance of attentional impairments to drinking behavior in those with ADHD.
    Drug and alcohol dependence 01/2011; 113(2-3):139-46. · 3.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: Alcohol and distraction interact to impair driving performance.
    Emily L R Harrison, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Recognition of the risks associated with alcohol intoxication and driver distraction has led to a wealth of simulated driving research aimed at studying the adverse effects of each of these factors. Research on driving has moved beyond the individual, separate examination of these factors to the examination of potential interactions between alcohol intoxication and driver distraction. In many driving situations, distractions are commonplace and might have little or no disruptive influence on primary driving functions. Yet, such distractions might become disruptive to a driver who is intoxicated. The present study examined the interactive impairing effects of alcohol intoxication and driver distraction on simulated driving performance in 40 young adult drivers using a divided attention task as a distracter activity. The interactive influence of alcohol and distraction was tested by having drivers perform the driving task under four different conditions: 0.65 g/kg alcohol; 0.65 g/kg alcohol+divided attention; placebo; and placebo+divided attention. As hypothesized, divided attention had no impairing effect on driving performance in sober drivers. However, under alcohol, divided attention exacerbated the impairing effects of alcohol on driving precision. Alcohol and distraction continue to be appropriate targets for research into ways to reduce the rates of driving-related fatalities and injuries. Greater consideration of how alcohol and distraction interact to impair aspects of driving performance can further efforts to create prevention and intervention measures to protect drivers, particularly young adults.
    Drug and alcohol dependence 01/2011; 117(1):31-7. · 3.60 Impact Factor
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    Article: Tolerance to the impairing effects of alcohol on the inhibition and activation of behavior.
    Erik W Ostling, Mark T Fillmore
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    ABSTRACT: Moderate doses of alcohol impair response inhibition and slow response activation, and some recent work has shown that during a single dose, response inhibition recovers from the impairing effects of alcohol more slowly than response activation. Evidence for a possible lag in tolerance development to inhibitory versus activational mechanisms suggests that as blood alcohol declines, drinkers' response inhibition might continue to be impaired despite having an unimpaired ability to activate responses; however, this effect has not been studied across repeated doses. The present study examined how cross-session tolerance to the impairing effects of alcohol develops differentially between response activation and inhibition. Thirty-two healthy adults performed a cued go/no-go task that measured response activation and inhibition. The study tested the degree to which response activation and inhibition developed acute and cross-session tolerances to a moderate dose of alcohol (0.65 g/kg) administered twice on separate days. Alcohol slowed response activation and decreased response inhibition during both administrations. Response activation displayed acute tolerance to alcohol impairment during both administrations and cross-session tolerance from the first to second administration. By contrast, response inhibition showed no acute or cross-session tolerance. Biased recovery of response activation over inhibition during a single dose and as doses are repeated could contribute to some of the impulsive behavior commonly observed under alcohol.
    Psychopharmacologia 12/2010; 212(4):465-73. · 4.08 Impact Factor

Institutions

  • 2009–2013
    • Northern Kentucky University
      • Department of Psychological Science
      Highland Heights, KY, USA
  • 2001–2013
    • University of Kentucky
      • Department of Psychology
      Lexington, KY, USA
  • 2008–2011
    • Yale University
      • Department of Psychiatry
      New Haven, CT, USA
  • 2010
    • Purdue University
      • Department of Psychological Sciences
      West Lafayette, IN, USA