TY - JOUR
T1 - Similar profile of cognitive impairment and recovery for Aboriginal Australians in treatment for episodic or chronic alcohol use
AU - Dingwall, Kylie
AU - Maruff, Paul
AU - Cairney, Sheree
PY - 2011/8
Y1 - 2011/8
N2 - Aims The cognitive impairment and recovery associated with chronic alcohol abuse and subsequent abstinence is well understood. However, the recovery profile following heavy episodic or 'binge' use, which is common among some Australian Aboriginal users, has not been investigated thoroughly and no empirical studies have examined chronic use in this population. The aim of this study was to identify and compare cognitive impairment and recovery associated with chronic and episodic alcohol use among Aboriginal Australians. Design Longitudinal case-control design. Setting Residential alcohol treatment programmes in northern Australia. Participants Forty chronic alcohol users, 24 episodic users and 41 healthy controls [mean age=34.24; standard deviation (SD)=9.73]. Measurements Cognitive assessments of visual motor, attention, memory, learning and executive functions at baseline (start of treatment), then 4 weeks and 8 weeks later. Reassessment of 31% of participants an average of 11 months later (SD=4.4) comparing those who remained abstinent (n=5), those who relapsed (n=11) and healthy controls (n=19). Findings At baseline, chronic and episodic alcohol users showed impaired visual motor, learning, memory and executive functions. With the exception of visual motor impairment, all deficits had improved to normal levels within 4 weeks. Visual motor deficits had normalized within 11 months. Performances did not differ at any time between chronic and episodic alcohol groups. Conclusions In Aboriginal Australians, episodic drinking is associated with similar patterns of impairment and recovery as chronic alcohol use. Most cognitive deficits appear to recover within the first month of abstinence, while persisting visual motor problems recover within 1 year.
AB - Aims The cognitive impairment and recovery associated with chronic alcohol abuse and subsequent abstinence is well understood. However, the recovery profile following heavy episodic or 'binge' use, which is common among some Australian Aboriginal users, has not been investigated thoroughly and no empirical studies have examined chronic use in this population. The aim of this study was to identify and compare cognitive impairment and recovery associated with chronic and episodic alcohol use among Aboriginal Australians. Design Longitudinal case-control design. Setting Residential alcohol treatment programmes in northern Australia. Participants Forty chronic alcohol users, 24 episodic users and 41 healthy controls [mean age=34.24; standard deviation (SD)=9.73]. Measurements Cognitive assessments of visual motor, attention, memory, learning and executive functions at baseline (start of treatment), then 4 weeks and 8 weeks later. Reassessment of 31% of participants an average of 11 months later (SD=4.4) comparing those who remained abstinent (n=5), those who relapsed (n=11) and healthy controls (n=19). Findings At baseline, chronic and episodic alcohol users showed impaired visual motor, learning, memory and executive functions. With the exception of visual motor impairment, all deficits had improved to normal levels within 4 weeks. Visual motor deficits had normalized within 11 months. Performances did not differ at any time between chronic and episodic alcohol groups. Conclusions In Aboriginal Australians, episodic drinking is associated with similar patterns of impairment and recovery as chronic alcohol use. Most cognitive deficits appear to recover within the first month of abstinence, while persisting visual motor problems recover within 1 year.
KW - Aboriginal
KW - Alcohol
KW - Chronic
KW - Cognitive recovery
KW - Episodic
KW - Indigenous Australian
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960278717&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03434.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03434.x
M3 - Article
VL - 106
SP - 1419
EP - 1426
JO - Addiction
JF - Addiction
SN - 0965-2140
IS - 8
ER -