A comment on critical flicker fusion as an objective measure of alcohol tolerance by alcoholics

Flicker fusion frequency and organic syndrome in alcoholics

Flicker fusion frequencies of 48 healthy controls and of 35 alcoholics were measured to detect possible associations between flicker fusion and signs of nonspecific brain damage, the aim of the study. FFF was statistically significantly lower in patients addicted to alcohol than in healthy subjects. Lower flicker fusion frequencies were associated with the severeness of organic psychosis as rated psychopathologically. The hypothesis that addiction to alcohol is a sign of diffuse, nonspecific, organic brain damage was discussed.

The combined effects of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on critical flicker frequency

Previous studies have found that subjects report a raised critical flicker frequency (CFF) threshold after smoking a cigarette and a lowered CFF after drinking a moderate dose of alcohol. The present aim was to examine the joint effects of these two drugs on CFF. Although the changes in CFF were in the expected direction for each drug separately, the combined effects were variable, depending in part on the type of test being used. In a lengthy signal detection task (Experiment I), combining the drugs resulted in antagonism, but with short probe tests (Experiments II and III), the smokers showed little effect for alcohol alone, but decreased thresholds if they were allowed to smoke at the same time. Experiment IV examined the effects of both drugs on long and short threshold tests within the same session, essentially confirming the previous findings. Additional pre-drug threshold differences were found between smokers who were required to refrain from smoking overnight before testing and those who were nondeprived.