[Alcohol and disadaptive behavioural responses].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The knowledge of heavy drinking and dependence on working behaviour is known and reflect the general community opinion and therefore is known in its more general and/or extreme manifestations (weekend deaths, dementia, polineuropathies). Less known and rarely measured are alcohol effects in heavy drinkers who have a high level of tolerance and only show manifestations which for a long time can be considered normal or seen as subjective peculiarities.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: It is only in presence of serious accidents or dependence reactions that the drinking habit becomes evident. Cognitive, visuomotor and memory functions as well as personal and social behaviour should be examined but, it also appears that not all psychological measures are adequate to show the presence of possible cognitive deficiencies or behavioural dysfunction due to the fact that compensation mechanism can buffer for a long time alcohol behavioural effects. Two examples are described, reaction time measures and memory profiles.