101470: What Happened? Alcohol, Memory Blackouts, and the Brain

About the Course:

This article reviews what is currently known regarding the specific features of acute alcohol-induced memory dysfunction, particularly alcohol-induced blackouts, and the pharmacological mechanisms underlying them.

Journal/Publisher:

Alcohol Research and Health

Publication Date:

2003

Author

Aaron M. White, Ph.D.

About the Authors:

Aaron M. White, Ph.D., is an assistant research professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially addiction counselors, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about alcohol, memory blackouts, and the brain. It is appropriate for introductory to intermediate levels of participants’ knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. Describe the effects of alcohol on memory.

2. Explain how alcohol impairs memory.

3. Identify the brain regions involved in alcohol-induced memory impairments.