Author/Editor		Šprah, Lilijana; Novak, Tatjana
Title		Neurocognitive assessment of alcohol inpatients during recovery from alcoholism
Translated title		Nevrokognitivna ocena abstinentov med njihovim okrevanjem od odvisnosti od alkohola
Type		članek
Source		Zdrav Vestn
Vol. and No.		Letnik 77, št. Suppl 2
Publication year		2008
Volume		str. II-75-84
Language		eng
Abstract		Objective The aim of study was a neuropsychological evaluation of cognitive, emotional and motivational functioning of abstinent alcohol inpatients. Background Alcohol dependence is characterized by a neuropsychological profile of extensive impairment in executive functions, visuospatial abilities, sociocognitive, emotional and motivational dysfunctions. A growing body of research evidence suggests that alcoholism-related structural and functional brain changes may underlay abovementioned deficits. Nevertheless, certain alcohol-related impairments are reversible with abstinence. Several studies indicated that with prolonged abstinence functional improvement in memory, visuospatial abilities, and attention occur within 3 to 4 weeks of abstinence accompanied by at least partial reversal of brain shrinkage and some recovery of metabolic functions in the frontal lobes and cerebellum, as well as with increased cortical grey matter volume. Methods 33 male abstinent alcohol inpatients (average abstinence: 8 weeks) and 36 healthy controls were tested on the following domains: attention (classical vs. emotional Stroop Task), working memory (spatial vs. verbal), visuospatial abilities (Benton Face Recognition Task, Line Orientation Test), emotionality (Ekman Emotional Recognition Task, Test of Emotional Styles, Beck Depression Inventory) and motivation (Behavioural Inhibition/Activation Scale). Results Alcohol abstainers compared to healthy controls showed impaired attention, more depressive symptoms and overactive activation behavioural system, whereas the working memory and visuospatial tasks did not reveal significant differences between groups. A specific neuropsychological profile has been found among alcohol abstainers with suicidal history where lower emotion recognition ability and attention difficulties with emotional stimuli have been recorded. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
Summary		Namen Namen raziskave je bil nevropsihološka evalvacija kognitivnih, emocionalnih in motivacijskih funkcij pri abstinentih od alkohola. Izhodišča Za osebe, odvisne od alkohola je značilen poseben nevropsihološki profil, v katerem se odraža oškodovanost izvršitvenih in vidnoprostorskih funkcij ter disfunkcije na sociokognitivnem, emocionalnem in motivacijskem področju. Čedalje več raziskav navaja, da so vzrok omenjenim primanjkljajem strukturne in funkcionalne možganske spremembe, povezane z učinki alkohola, ki pa so reverzibilne narave saj se lahko v obdobju abstinence deloma tudi popravijo. Različne raziskave so pokazale, da se v podaljšanem, 3 do 4-tedenskem obdobju abstinence, lahko izboljšajo spominske funkcije, vidnoprostorske sposobnosti in pozornost. Hkrati se delno popravi možganska atrofija, poveča metabolna aktivnost v frontalnem režnju in cerebelumu ter poveča volumen sivine možganske skorje. Metoda 33 abstinentov od alkohola (povprečna dolžina abstinence: 8 tednov) in 36 zdravih kontrol smo testirali na sledečih področjih: pozornost (besedno barvni in emocionalni (Stroopov test), delovni spomin (prostorski in besedni), vidnoprostorske sposobnosti (Bentonov test prepoznavanja obrazov, Test orientacije črte), emocionalno odzivanje (Ekmanov test prepoznavanja emocij, Test emocionalnih stilov, Beckov vprašalnik depresije) in motivacija (Ocenjevalna lestvica občutljivosti motivacijskega sistema umika in nagrajevalnega motivacijskega sistema). Rezultati Rezultati so pokazali pri abstinentih od alkohola okrnjeno pozornost, več depresivnih simptomov in povečano občutljivost nagrajevalnega motivacijskega sistema v primerjavi z zdravimi kontrolami. Pri nalogah delovnega spomina in vidnoprostorskih sposobnostih ni prišlo do pomembnih razlik med skupinama. (Izvleček prekinjen pri 2000 znakih)
Descriptors		ALCOHOLISM TEMPERANCE COGNITION DISORDERS PERSONALITY TESTS