Human auditory evoked responses during hangover.

Auditory evoked responses (AER) to trains of 6 click stimuli (1 click/sec) were studied in 9 subjects under hangover, tired control, and normal control conditions in order to find out whether the symptoms of hyperexcitability during hangover have a correlate in the characteristics of the AER. In addition, the audiograms were measured. AERs to the first click in a stimulus train were markedly smaller during hangover than in the other 2 states. The amplitude levels of the AERs during the repetition of the click stimulus were, however, similar under all three conditions. The audiograms obtained in the three states were similar except for a very slight decrease of auditory threshold sensitivity during hangover as compared with the tired control condition. The results show that the effects of hangover on AERs resemble those of alcohol intoxication. The symptoms of hyperexcitability during hangover cannot be explained in terms of increased peripheral sensitivity.