Acute Behavioral Tolerance to Alcohol

Although the strength of the effect produced by alcohol is generally dose dependent, its effect on behavior cannot be reliably predicted by the dose alone because the dose effect has been shown to vary. Acute behavioral tolerance is a rapid decrease in the dose effect of alcohol, seen to occur within the duration of a single dose. Numerous research paradigms have been used to examine acute behavioral tolerance, across an array of different behavioral measures. We have reviewed studies that used a research paradigm appropriate to test for acute behavioral tolerance. The primary aim was to examine the different paradigms that have been used to identify what empirical evidence of the effect has been found. The additional aims were to identify domains of behavior in which acute tolerance has been shown to occur and ascertain which conditions have been shown to influence it. Findings of acute tolerance were prevalent. Seven different research paradigms were identified, and each found evidence of acute behavioral tolerance in at least 1 study. The effect was not uniform across all behavioral measures. Subjective measures reliably showed the effect, but objective measures of behavior were less reliable, providing evidence that particular aspects of task performance are more sensitive to acute tolerance than others. The dose effect of alcohol for behavioral measures is often shown to decrease within the duration of a single dose. Investigations into, and considerations of, the effects of alcohol on behavior need to consider temporal changes in the dose effect. Public Health Significance The effect of alcohol on behavioral measures has often been found to decrease within the duration of a dose. This decrease is not universal and was seen to vary between different behavioral measures. Subjective measures more reliably show acute tolerance than objective measures, and this difference between behavioral domains raises concerns regarding issues like binge drinking and drinking and driving. Guidance for responsible drinking and future research into the effects of alcohol should consider the demonstrated decrease in the effect of alcohol and the variability in the dose effect between different domains of behavior.