Die Auswirkungen einer Alkoholinfusion auf den Schlaf, die Cortisolsekretion und die Gedächtniskonsolidierung: Ergebnisse einer randomisierten kontrollierten Studie

Background: Sleep enhances memory consolidation. Chronic consumption of 0.4 g alcohol/kg bodyweight has a negative impact on cognitive function. An artificial increase of cortisol during the first half of the night impairs declarative memory consolidation. Alcohol can stimulate cortisol secretion. Objectives: Does the acute consumption of this amount of alcohol have a negative impact on sleep, memory, and secretion of cortisol? Material and methods: In a double-blind randomized cross-over design, 34 healthy young males received 0.4 g alcohol/kg bodyweight or an isotonic transfusion of sodium chloride during early NonREM sleep. Before sleep, they had learned a declarative and a procedural memory task that had to be recalled the next morning when alcohol had levelled off. Results and Conclusions: Alcohol increased cortisol secretion in the early night and resulted in an attenuated cortisol awakening response. In addition, latencies for REM and sleep stage 4 and the time spent in sleep stage 1 and wake states were increased. Subjects felt less refreshed in the morning after alcohol transfusion, but memory recall was unchanged. Alcohol at a moderate dose thus had a negative impact on cortisol rhythm and some sleep parameters, but this effect was not strong enough to influence overnight memory consolidation.