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Cognitive dysfunction in recently detoxified female alcoholics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Richard Blennerhassett ,
Antonie Schneider ,
Patrick Tubridy ,
Domhnall S O'Loideáin  and
Rory K Shelley
Richard Blennerhassett*
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Antonie Schneider
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Patrick Tubridy
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Domhnall S O'Loideáin
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Rory K Shelley
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
*
Regional Drug and Alcohol Unit, Plummer Court, Carliol Place, Newcastle on Tyne, NE1 6UR
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Abstract

Objective: To assess the extent of cognitive impairment in a group of female alcoholics and to examine if any relationship was present between the degree of cognitive impairment, and the duration of alcohol dependence, impairment of liver function or associated prescribed medication abuse. Method: The subjects were thirty consecutive women in a residential alcoholism treatment programme who were assessed two weeks after detoxification. The visual reproduction subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale was used, together with four subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale: vocabulary, similarities, block design and object assembly. We examined the effect on these scales of prolonged alcohol abuse (>5 years), abnormal liver function tests and prescribed medication abuse. Results: The group showed a significant impairment on the subtests, similarities, block design and object assembly when compared with the general population mean for the WAIS-R. Analysis of sub-groups showed little statistically significantly greater impairment on cognitive testing then the remainder of the group. Conclusions: The pattern of cognitive dysfunction for the group indicated subjects had deficits in abstraction, visual spatial and visual motor reasoning similar to previous studies involving male alcoholics. The usefulness of the sub-group comparisons was limited by the small numbers involved and larger studies would help clarify the role of contributory factors in the development of cognitive dysfunction in alcoholic subjects.

Keywords

AlcoholismFemaleCognitive dysfunctionWAIS-R
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , February 1993 , pp. 6 - 8
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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