W8: Are we in control while we are intoxicated? Flashcards
1) Outline the cog psy methods used to examine the influence of intoxication on cognition
2) To examine how such evidence can be used to influence policy
purpose!
Can we be accounted for our actions when intoxicated?
Current law:
(S6,7)
lower max penalty for the crime committed
Extention to Psychotic symptoms:
Why?
symptoms may be part of an intoxication syndrome, and resolve rapidly with the excretion of the psychotogenic (that is, psychosis-causing) substance from the body.
substance induced psychosis is used in the diagnostic classification schemes employed in mental health to describe such transient disorders.
It is usually long term, especially psychotic illness, -> long going even in even in the absence of ongoing substance use. furthermore, a person with an established psychotic illness may engage in substance abuse, which appears to precipitate psychotic relapses.
Meth Use and Violent Behaviour:
Animal study
Acute doses in animals have inconsistently produced violent behaviour,
low to moderate doses appear to augment aggressive responses,
but the effects are not consistent across species or paradigms
Chronic methamphetamine exposure in animal studies (Sokolov and colleagues) has consistently demonstrated increased aggression and fighting behaviour
Meth Use and Violent Behaviour:
Animal study
confound
confounded by the acute effects of meth on increased vigilance and psychomotor behaviour
Acute doses of dextro-amphetamine, which is an oral medication used to treat narcolepsy and other conditions, show no increases in aggression
Increased talking, motor activity, anorexia, ‘friendliness’ but no acute or chronic increases in aggression
Chronic use has been prescribed to successfully treat aggressive behaviour in children with ADHD
opioid withdrawal
Consistently associated in animal experiments and human observational studies with increased aggression
60+% of heavy chronic Meth users report problems with aggression and problems controlling violent behaviour
Australian data indicates that prevalence of violent crime amongst regular Meth users is comparable to other illicit drug using groups (McKetin et al, 2005)
Intoxication and Crime:
NSW Sentencing Council 2009 – Sentencing for Alcohol-related violence
Almost half of assault offences and three quarters of offensive behaviour incidents involve intoxication
A review of crime statistics from 11 countries, 62% of offenders convicted of a violent crime had been consuming alcohol shortly before committing the crime – Murdoch et al. 1990
Alcohol was more than twice as likely to be a contributing factor to violent crimes, compared to non-violent crimes
The magnitude of violence was related to the magnitude of consumption
Does Intoxication increase aggression?
Links: (4)
1) Psychomotor stimulant effects
2) Interrupted threat detection
3) Alterations of the pain system
4) Alterations of cognition
Psychomotor stimulant effects
Euphoria accompanying intoxication is rewarding, which is accompanied by increases in nervous system stimulation
1) increased BP, HR, respiration
2) Also increase sensation seeking, approach behaviours
3) Confrontational and provocative behaviours
Interrupted threat detection
Alcohol alleviate subjective feelings of stress, (upregulation of GABA in the brain)
Intoxication can result in diminishing appropriate levels of stress and or fear
Other drugs that have an anxiolytic effect (e.g., cannabis) but are not linked to violence, also have a CNS depressant effect
(combi effect)
Measures of aggression
S17-19
Influence of sub. Intixication,
…..
Taylor Aggression paradigm
Subjects are placed in a situation where electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive reaction-time task
Physical aggression is indexed as the intensity of shocks administered to the opponent
Given that aggression is highly related to provocation, the TAP has low and high provocation conditions
Opponents are introduced at the beginning of the experiment and sit opposite throughout, they are same gender and race
Pain thresholds are individually assessed and factored into shock intensity
Results from study (card 15)
Alcohol significantly increased aggressive behaviour in comparison to the placebo, for men but not women
The effect of alcohol expectancies on aggression in men was rendered nonsignificant when statistically controlling for dispositional aggressivity
alcohol may amplify aggression