Severity of alcohol dependence and its relationship to neurological soft signs, neuropsychological impairment and family history

• Published in: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica 1997-04, Vol.95 (4), p.272-276
• Main Authors: Keenan, E., O'Donnell, C., Sinanan, K., O'Callaghan, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - complications; Alcoholism - genetics; Alcoholism - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Damage, Chronic - diagnosis; Brain Damage, Chronic - genetics; Brain Damage, Chronic - psychology; family history; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurologic Examination - statistics & numerical data; neurological soft signs; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; neuropsychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0001-690X; 1600-0447
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1997.tb09631.x

We examined the relationship between severity of alcohol dependence, subtle neurological impairment, neuropsychological deficits and genetic vulnerability among 36 day hospital attenders who satisfied the DSM‐III‐R criteria for alcohol dependence. Severity of alcohol dependence was unrelated to the presence of a family history, but was correlated with neurological soft signs and neuropsychological impairment. Neurological soft signs were correlated with neuropsychological impairment on both Trail A and Trail B. Patients with an affected first‐degree relative exhibited more neurological soft signs. These data indicate that severity of alcohol dependence is related not only to neuropsychological impairment, but also to subtle neurological deficits which may not be apparent on conventional neurological examination. Patients with a positive family history of alcohol dependence may be particularly susceptible to the neurological sequelae of alcohol dependence, or may have neurological deficits which antedate their alcohol dependence.