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Working memory is a temporary system that makes it possible to retain a certain amount of information and then manipulate and regulate it so as to guide behaviors and cognitive processes. PAVOX is a test that has been used in Mexico to evaluate visual verbal memory. In this test, the subject must remember the position of the semantic category of two- or three-syllable words presented randomly and consecutively on a computer monitor. This paper describes the operation and advantages of MemPavox, a computer program that was created according to the requirements of the PAVOX test. This program allows the presentation of words or any other visual stimulus while providing precise control of both time and the manner in which the stimuli appear, as well as the implementation of various stimulation paradigms, including the three tasks that make up the PAVOX test (vowel counting, categorization and dual). In addition, it records the type of response and subjects reaction times. Given its availability, flexibility and manageability, MemPavox can be used by both researchers in the field of cognitive neuroscience and professional psychologists to assess working memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The metabolism of alcohol and cognitive functions can vary during the menstrual cycle. Also, both alcohol ingestion and hormonal variations during menstruation have been associated with characteristic changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. AIM. To determine whether EEG activity during a working memory task is affected by acute alcohol consumption, and if these EEG patterns vary in relation to different phases of the menstrual cycle., Subjects and Methods: 24 women who drank a moderate dose of alcohol or placebo during the follicular and early luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The EEG activity was recorded during performance of viso-spatial working memory task., Results: Although the alcohol did not deteriorate the performance of working memory task, it caused in the EEG a decrease of relative theta power and lower right fronto-parietal correlation in theta and alpha2 bands. Only women who drank alcohol in the follicular phase had a higher relative potency of alpha1, which could indicate a lower level of arousal and attention., Conclusions: These results contribute to a better understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying cognitive changes with alcohol and its relationship to the menstrual cycle.

It is well known that the metabolism of alcohol and cognitive functions can vary during the menstrual cycle. Also, both alcohol ingestion and hormonal variations during menstruation have been associated with characteristic changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether EEG activity during the performance of the Tower of London (TOL) task is affected by previous ingestion of alcohol and whether these EEG patterns vary in relation to different phases of the menstrual cycle. For this purpose, female participants consumed a moderate dose of alcohol or placebo during the follicular and early luteal phases of the menstrual cycle and then, 35 min after liquid ingestion, EEG activity was recorded during the performance of TOL. A deleterious effect of alcohol on TOL performance was potentiated in the follicular phase, related to a higher α1 relative power, probably as a result of the low progesterone levels characteristic of this menstrual phase. These data show the feasibility of examining the interaction of alcohol and menstrual cycle phases on cognitive performance by means of EEG recording, and contribute toward a better understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie the cognitive changes that occur during the menstrual cycle under the effects of alcohol.