Change in Neurocognition in People with Co-occurring Alcohol Misuse and Depression: 12-Month Follow-up

Sally Ann Hunt

doi:10.4172/2155-6105.s10-004

Abstract

Objective: Co-occurring alcohol misuse and depression (CAD) are highly prevalent and are both with associated cognitive impairments. Few studies have assessed how cognitive functioning changes over time in association with improvements in alcohol use and/or depression. This is the first study to assess cognitive function and symptoms of depression and alcohol use in a CAD sample at baseline and again at 12-months. We explored whether reduction in alcohol use or improvement in symptoms of depression were associated with changes in cognitive functioning. Methods: Neuropsychological assessment was administered at baseline and after 12-months in a CAD sample of 71 people who had participated in a psychological intervention in the interim. Changes in alcohol use and depression over 12 months were interpreted as potential factors in improvement in neuropsychological function. Results: Depressive symptoms and alcohol use improved over 12-months while overall neuropsychological test performance was stable. Improvement in verbal memory, working memory and executive function was predicted by improvement in depressive symptoms measured by the BDI-II, but not by change in alcohol use quantity or frequency of heavy drinking. Conclusion: Among people with CAD, alleviation of the symptoms of depression may have greater influence on cognitive functioning in areas such as memory and executive function, than a reduction in alcohol use. Further treatment outcome research in CAD samples should include neurocognitive assessments in order to elucidate our understanding of cognitive impairments and potential improvements with intervention.

Highlights

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) and depression are highly prevalent conditions with Australian data reporting 12-month prevalence of 7% for affective disorders and 6% for alcohol use disorders [1]
Improvement in verbal memory, working memory and executive function was predicted by improvement in depressive symptoms measured by the BDI-II, but not by change in alcohol use quantity or frequency of heavy drinking
Further treatment outcome research in Co-occurring alcohol misuse and depression (CAD) samples should include neurocognitive assessments in order to elucidate our understanding of cognitive impairments and potential improvements with intervention

Summary

Introduction

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) and depression are highly prevalent conditions with Australian data reporting 12-month prevalence of 7% for affective disorders and 6% for alcohol use disorders [1]. These two conditions co-occur at rates greater than chance in community and clinical samples [2,3]. Prevalence of depression in people seeking treatment for AUD ranges from 25.7% [4] to 70% [5] Another Australian study reported that people meeting DSM-IV alcohol dependence criteria were 4.5 times more likely to meet criteria for an affective disorder than non-drinkers [6]. Studies have demonstrated improvement in memory and executive function in the first months of abstinence [15] while others have found ongoing impairments in these domains [16,18], with deficits persisting for months or years after cessation of alcohol misuse [19]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion