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Alcoholism Severity (alcoholism + severity)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Effects of alcoholism severity and smoking on executive neurocognitive function

ADDICTION, Issue 1 2009
Jennifer M. Glass
ABSTRACT Aims Neurocognitive deficits in chronic alcoholic men are well documented. Impairments include memory, visual,spatial processing, problem solving and executive function. The cause of impairment could include direct effects of alcohol toxicity, pre-existing cognitive deficits that predispose towards substance abuse, comorbid psychiatric disorders and abuse of substances other than alcohol. Cigarette smoking occurs at higher rates in alcoholism and has been linked to poor cognitive performance, yet the effects of smoking on cognitive function in alcoholism are often ignored. We examined whether chronic alcoholism and chronic smoking have effects on executive function. Methods Alcoholism and smoking were examined in a community-recruited sample of alcoholic and non-alcoholic men (n = 240) using standard neuropsychological and reaction-time measures of executive function. Alcoholism was measured as the average level of alcoholism diagnoses across the study duration (12 years). Smoking was measured in pack-years. Results Both alcoholism and smoking were correlated negatively with a composite executive function score. For component measures, alcoholism was correlated negatively with a broad range of measures, whereas smoking was correlated negatively with measures that emphasize response speed. In regression analyses, both smoking and alcoholism were significant predictors of executive function composite. However, when IQ is included in the regression analyses, alcoholism severity is no longer significant. Conclusions Both smoking and alcoholism were related to executive function. However, the effect of alcoholism was not independent of IQ, suggesting a generalized effect, perhaps affecting a wide range of cognitive abilities of which executive function is a component. On the other hand, the effect of smoking on measures relying on response speed were independent of IQ, suggesting a more specific processing speed deficit associated with chronic smoking. [source]

Factors Affecting %CDT Status at Entry Into a Multisite Clinical Treatment Trial: Experience from the COMBINE Study

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 11 2006
Raymond F. Anton
Background: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) occurs as a higher percentage of normal transferrin (%CDT) in heavy drinkers. %CDT is used as a marker of both alcohol use disorder severity and treatment outcome both clinically and in treatment trials. Nevertheless, little is known about the parameters that predict which patients are %CDT positives at treatment entry. These parameters might include level of drinking, days of abstinence before testing, and severity of alcohol dependence before evaluation. Methods: %CDT levels were collected before randomization from participants of the COMBINE Study, a large federally sponsored multisite clinical trial evaluating medications and behavioral therapies in alcohol-dependent outpatients. %CDT (assayed in a central laboratory) was available in 1,193 individuals for whom drinking history in the 30 days before testing and measures of alcoholism severity were documented. The effects of drinking history and alcohol severity were evaluated for prediction of a %CDT-positive test status. Results: Less percent days abstinent (PDA) and more drinks per drinking day (DDD) were predictive of higher rates of %CDT-positive patients (maximum 67%). Up to 14 days of continuous abstinence before testing did not appear to significantly affect %CDT status. Rates of %CDT positives remained reasonably steady up to about 40% PDA. Years of drinking at dependence levels had an unexpected negative impact on %CDT-positive rates while previous treatment had a small but positive impact of %CDT-positive rates. ADS and DrInC scores had no predictive value over and above recent drinking amounts on %CDT status. Conclusions: %CDT is more likely to be positive in those who have more days of drinking and to a lesser degree in those who drink more per drinking day. It can remain positive even in those alcoholic subjects who stop drinking many days before testing. Alcoholic subjects with more treatment experiences appear to have a marginally higher %CDT-positive rate. [source]

Mismatch Negativity: No Difference Between Controls and Abstinent Alcoholics

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 1 2004
George Fein
Abstract: Background: A number of studies have examined the amplitude of the mismatch negativity (MMN) evoked potential as a measure of a brain inhibitory deficit in alcoholics or those at risk for alcoholism. The current study examined MMN in alcoholics abstinent an average of 6.7 years (with a minimum of six months abstinence) compared to controls. This study examined the association of MMN with alcoholism family history density, with indices of the presence and severity of externalizing disorders (a risk-factor for alcoholism), and with alcohol use variables. Methods: Electroencephalograms were gathered on 76 subjects (38 controls, 38 abstinent alcoholics) during a nonattending mismatch negativity experiment. Measures of alcoholism family history density, disinhibited personality traits, and antisocial symptoms served as measures of risk-factors known to be associated with a genetic liability to alcoholism. Alcohol use variables were used as measures of alcoholism severity. Results: There were no differences in MMN amplitude or latency between controls and abstinent alcoholics. There also were no significant associations between MMN measures and the measures of risk for alcoholism or with the severity of alcohol use or duration of abstinence. Conclusions: The results suggest that MMN is neither affected in chronic alcoholics nor associated with alcoholism vulnerability, and thus does not reflect a trait marker of alcoholism or alcoholism risk. The current results do not address effects on MMN of acute alcohol ingestion or withdrawal from alcohol. [source]