Heavy and frequent alcohol use remains a key public health concern, particularly among young adults.

Our team aims to collect intensive data across a 21-day period from a sample of 250 young adults to explore the acute, next-day (post-intoxication) effects of alcohol use on cognitive functioning overall, across multiple timeframes, and by type of drinking episode (light drinking, binge drinking, high-intensity drinking, blackout drinking). We also seek to examine day-level and person-level moderators to inform moments and subgroups at greatest risk and in need of early targeted prevention and intervention efforts.

Aims

Our team will:

• examine acute, next-day effects of any alcohol use on cognitive functioning (episodic memory, executive functioning, working memory) and across various time frames (i.e., upon waking only or persisting throughout the day); and (b) examine whether these daily associations differ by type of drinking episode (light drinking, binge drinking, high-intensity drinking, blackout drinking); and
• examine day-level moderators (hangover symptoms, mood, sleep, prior day cannabis, other substance use) that may buffer or exacerbate day-level associations between alcohol use (any drinking, light drinking, binge drinking, high-intensity drinking, blackout drinking) and cognitive functioning; and
• examine person-level variables (sex, baseline alcohol use severity, general cognitive functioning) as moderators of day-level associations between alcohol use (any drinking, light drinking, binge drinking, high-intensity drinking, blackout drinking) and cognitive functioning.

By identifying the acute impacts of varying levels of alcohol use intensity on next-day cognitive functioning as well as the day- and person-level characteristics that moderate these associations, our findings will have critical implications for the role of alcohol use on everyday cognitive functioning and highlight subgroups most in need of monitoring and early intervention.