Visuospatial perception, construction and memory in alcoholism.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze visuospatial cognition in recently detoxified alcoholics from the perspectives of three ways of conceptualizing spatial information processing: egocentric versus allocentric orientation, featural versus configural analysis, and categorical versus coordinate spatial judgements.


METHODS
Twenty-eight chronic alcoholics (19 men, 9 women) were compared to 20 (10 men, 10 women) controls of comparable age and education on a battery of tests of visuospatial scanning, construction, mental imagery, and anterograde and remote spatial memory. Tests were administered 21-40 days after alcoholics entered treatment.


RESULTS
Alcoholics displayed impairment in visuospatial scanning, construction, utilizing and manipulating information from visual images and on three tests of anterograde spatial memory, but remote spatial memory was not significantly affected. Their deficits were evident on some measures of allocentric orientation, featural and configural analysis, but consistent deficits on egocentric orientation or categorical or coordinate spatial judgments were not seen.


CONCLUSIONS
Deficits in spatial cognition exhibited by alcoholics do not seem to arise from dysfunction in any localized brain region. Small but potentially important impairments in fundamental aspects of spatial information processing such as scanning and use of visual imagery were found. The empirical basis and clinical significance of these deficits requires further study.
Beatty
W W
WW
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73190, USA.
Hames
K A
KA
Blanco
C R
CR
Nixon
S J
SJ
Tivis
L J
LJ
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012016:Reference Values; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects
D000431:Ethanol