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Drinking linked to poor decisions
The Daily Iowan ^ | 6/21/2007 | Stephen Schmidt

Posted on 06/21/2007 1:27:05 PM PDT by Mike Bates

A study done by researchers at the University of Missouri, using a test developed at the UI, has correlated heavy binge drinking with diminished decision-making over time.

The study, published in the June edition of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, compared 200 randomly sampled individuals from a larger group of Missouri college students who voluntarily reported their drinking frequency during their freshman through their junior years. These subjects were then asked to complete the "Iowa Gambling Task" - a widely used method to test decision-making developed at the UI.

The students were divided into four levels of drinking based on their tendency to have more than five drinks in one sitting: low binge drinkers, moderate binge drinkers, binge drinkers who started low and progressively increased to heavy binge drinking, and consistently heavy binge drinkers. When put into direct comparison, the largest gap in performance on the test was between low binge drinkers and heavy binge drinkers, with the former performing better, according to the study.

Anna Goudriaan, the author of the study at Missouri and now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam, said even though poor decision-making was linked to heavy binge drinking by the study, it's unclear what comes first: the binge drinking or the bad choices.

"We cannot say for sure in this study [when the damage to judgment occurs], because we only tested people once, when they were 21," Goudriaan said. "More research will have to be done before we really can find causality for the subjects."

However, she said, some data suggest heavy drinking can have negative effects on a still developing brain. In addition, the prefrontal cortex - the area of the brain used for decision-making and identity development - continues to mature until the early- to mid-20s, Goudriaan said.

(Excerpt) Read more at media.www.dailyiowan.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: duh
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I am shocked. Shocked.
1 posted on 06/21/2007 1:27:08 PM PDT by Mike Bates
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To: Mike Bates

It sure seemed like a good idea at the time.


2 posted on 06/21/2007 1:27:55 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Islam is the religion of violins, NOT peas.)
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To: Mike Bates

Who knew?


3 posted on 06/21/2007 1:28:06 PM PDT by Gideon T. Reader (DEMOCRATS: Not quite American. PALESTINIANS: A proud history of mindless violence since 1964.)
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To: Mike Bates

I’ll drink to that!


4 posted on 06/21/2007 1:28:12 PM PDT by kromike
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To: Mike Bates

Ted Kennedy, take note they are talking about you.


5 posted on 06/21/2007 1:28:38 PM PDT by rolling_stone (same)
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To: Mike Bates

i wish I knew how to post a photo of the Kennedy gang.


6 posted on 06/21/2007 1:28:52 PM PDT by ilgipper
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To: kromike

Hold my beer and watch this!


7 posted on 06/21/2007 1:28:56 PM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Mike Bates

Such groundbreaking research is well worth millions in federal grant money.


8 posted on 06/21/2007 1:29:45 PM PDT by Spruce
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To: Mike Bates

Well,duh.


9 posted on 06/21/2007 1:29:51 PM PDT by Uncle Hal
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To: Mike Bates

Explains the decision to marry my ex-wife when I was 25. I let the wrong one get away.


10 posted on 06/21/2007 1:29:54 PM PDT by RatRipper
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To: Mike Bates

Wait for me, I’ll have a drink before deciding on the matter.


11 posted on 06/21/2007 1:29:58 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (We all need someone we can bleed on...)
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To: Mike Bates
I'll drink to that!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

12 posted on 06/21/2007 1:30:06 PM PDT by b4its2late (Liberalism is a mental disorder.)
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To: Mike Bates

The author of this must have been drinking. As if this wasn’t already obvious.

Leads to truly embarrassing Kareoke!


13 posted on 06/21/2007 1:30:42 PM PDT by dforest (Fighting the new liberal Conservatism. The Left foot in the GOP door.)
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To: Mike Bates

File this one under “No Shiite, Sherlock”...


14 posted on 06/21/2007 1:30:54 PM PDT by cardinal4
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To: Mike Bates; Millee

Don’t I remember you from somewhere?


15 posted on 06/21/2007 1:31:08 PM PDT by marsapan
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To: Mike Bates

16 posted on 06/21/2007 1:31:30 PM PDT by darkangel82 (Socialism is NOT an American value.)
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To: Mike Bates

17 posted on 06/21/2007 1:31:37 PM PDT by Cinnamon
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To: Mike Bates

18 posted on 06/21/2007 1:31:42 PM PDT by dighton
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To: RatRipper

Don’cha hate when that happens?


19 posted on 06/21/2007 1:31:48 PM PDT by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: Mike Bates

20 posted on 06/21/2007 1:32:07 PM PDT by Lucky9teen (Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.)
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