Relationship of background electroencephalogram with cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence

Abstract

A significant number of studies have focused on the neurophysiological basis of cognitive dysfunction among individuals with neurological and psychiatric disorders, including alcoholism. However, the neural correlates of cognitive deficits in alcohol dependence are still not clear enough.
 The purposeof the study: to identify the relationship of background electroencephalogram indicators with cognitive disorders in patients with alcohol dependence.
 Material and methods.107patients with alcohol dependence aged 30 to 60years after detoxification were examined. The background electroencephalogram was recorded with closed eyes for 2min. The values of the absolute spectral power of theta, alpha and beta rhythms were analyzed. The study of the level of Executive functioning was conducted using the Go/Nogo test. The level of spatially working memory was evaluated using the Corsi Block-Tapping test.
 Results.Data analysis revealed statistically significant correlations between the spectral power of the alpha rhythm in the occipital cortex and the number of errors per inhibitory signal (Nogo) in the Go/Nogo problem (r=0.287; p=0.025). There were also statistically significant correlations between the values of alpha-rhythm spectral power and working memory in the Corsi test in the parietal cortex (r=0.273; p=0.037), occipital cortex (r=0.316; p=0.015) and temporal cortex (r=0.359; p=0.005). There were no statistically significant correlations of beta and theta rhythms with the results of cognitive tests (p0.05).
 Conclusion.Thus, all of the above results indicate that the background EEG indicators, in particular the spectral power of alpha activity, can with a certain probability indicate violations of cognitive functioning (inhibitory control and working memory) in patients with alcohol dependence.