The impact of mild alcohol consumption on social cognition in ecstasy users

ALEJANDRO RAMOS USAJ; PAUTASSI R.M.; LUCAS SEDEÑO; AGUSTIN IBAÑEZ

Cordoba

Congreso; Determinants of Alcoholism: bridging the gap between epidemiological and basic research; 2019

Latin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (LASBRA)

The impact of mild alcohol consumption on social cognition in ecstasy usersAlejandro Ramos Usaj1, Ricardo Pautassi2, Lucas Sedeño1, Agustin Ibañez11. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (INCYT). José Andrés Pacheco de Melo 1860, CABA , CP1128, Argentina. 2. Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC -CONICET). Friuli 2434, Córdoba, CP 5000,351-481465, Argentina. Córdoba, CP 5000, 351-4334064aler.usaj@gmail.comSocial cognition has been a neglected area of research within the field of substance use. This study assessed the relative contribution of alcohol, cannabis, psychedelics and ecstasy use on several dimensions of empathy. Our sample consisted of 21 ecstasy users whose only drug of use other than ecstasy was cannabis, psychedelics or alcohol. Empathy was measured via the short version of the Empathy for Pain Task (EPT), which assesses 4 dimensions of empathy (i.e. empathic concern, degree of discomfort, behavior of the perpetrator and punishment) in 3 (neutral, intentional and accidental) conditions. We employed drug use questionnaires and the ASSIST scale to assess the level of drug abuse for each substance. We constructed a multiple regression model for each of the dimensions of the EPT considering both the response and reaction time of the subjects. We selected only one predictor variable from each substance and employed a stepwise selection method. Subjects showed a mild alcohol consumption pattern as indicated by standard units of alcohol consumed in the last month (M=4.06, SD= 3.26). Alcohol-related variables were the only variables that significantly predicted the responses in ?the degree of discomfort? (R2= .59, t= -3.70, p