Competition between frontal lobe functions and implicit sequence learning: evidence from the long-term effects of alcohol

Virág, Márta and Janacsek, Karolina and Horvath, A. and Bujdoso, Z. and Fabó, Dániel and Németh, Dezső (2015) Competition between frontal lobe functions and implicit sequence learning: evidence from the long-term effects of alcohol. EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 233 (7). pp. 2081-2089. ISSN 0014-4819

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Abstract

Implicit sequence learning is a fundamental mechanism that underlies the acquisition of motor, cog - nitive and social skills. The relationship between implicit learning and executive functions is still debated due to the overlapping fronto-striatal networks. According to the framework of competitive neurocognitive networks, dis - rupting specific frontal lobe functions, such as executive functions, increases performance on implicit learning tasks. The aim of our study was to explore the nature of such a relationship by investigating the effect of long-term regular alcohol intake on implicit sequence learning. Since alco - hol dependency impairs executive functions, we expected intact or even better implicit learning in patient group com - pared to the healthy controls based on the competitive rela - tionship between these neurocognitive networks. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the long-term effects of alcohol dependency both on implicit learning and on executive functions requiring different but partly over - lapping neurocognitive networks. Here, we show weaker executive functions but intact implicit learning in the alco - hol-dependent group compared to the controls. Moreover, we found negative correlation between these functions in both groups. Our results confirm the competitive rela - tionship between the fronto-striatal networks underlying implicit sequence learning and executive functions and sug - gest that the functional integrity of this relationship is unal - tered in the alcohol-dependent group despite the weaker frontal lobe functions.

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