Weekend alcoholism in youth and neurocognitive aging

Numerous studies have shown that alcohol intake causes neuropsychological disorders that affect various brain structures. The «premature ageing» hypothesis proposes that the brain areas of alcoholics undergo deterioration similar to that observed in old age. We investigated whether alcohol abuse by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psicothema 2011-04, Vol.23 (2), p.209-214
Main Authors: Sanhueza, Claudia, García-Moreno, Luis M, Expósito, Javier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior
Aged
Aging - psychology
Aging, Premature - chemically induced
Aging, Premature - psychology
Alcohol Drinking - psychology
Alcohol-Related Disorders - etiology
Alcohol-Related Disorders - psychology
Alcoholism
Alcoholism - psychology
Cognition Disorders - chemically induced
Executive Function - drug effects
Female
Humans
Hypotheses
Male
Memory - drug effects
Memory Disorders - chemically induced
Neuropsychological Tests
Neuropsychology
Older people
Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology
Psychology, Adolescent
Psychomotor Performance - drug effects
Temperance - psychology
Time Factors
Verbal Learning - drug effects
Young Adult
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Summary:Numerous studies have shown that alcohol intake causes neuropsychological disorders that affect various brain structures. The «premature ageing» hypothesis proposes that the brain areas of alcoholics undergo deterioration similar to that observed in old age. We investigated whether alcohol abuse by young people (binge drinking) causes alterations comparable to some found in elderly people. Ninety-one people were divided into four groups: a) young people who abused alcohol; b) young people who drank alcohol in moderation; c) young people who did not drink alcohol; and d) elderly adults without any significant cognitive deterioration. All of them were assessed with a neuropsychological battery. We observed some similarities in the results obtained by young drinkers and the elderly participants, which would provide some support for the hypothesis of premature aging. The tasks that young drinkers performed worse were those related to executive functions, in which the prefrontal cortex plays an essential role. We also found differences between the two groups of young drinkers (moderate and high consumption), which leads us to believe that the amount of alcohol consumed and the pattern of consumption are factors to consider in relation to cognitive impairment.
ISSN:0214-9915
1886-144X