Persistent cognitive deficits in community-treated alcoholic men and women volunteering for research: limited contribution from psychiatric comorbidity.
OBJECTIVE
The contribution of psychiatric comorbidity to cognitive status was assessed in a sample of treatment-seeking alcoholics who met criteria to participate in studies of effects of chronic alcohol misuse on brain structure and cognition.


METHODS
Alcoholic men (n = 43) and women (n = 21) who responded to notices about a research study were screened, clinically assessed and administered Wechsler Memory and Intelligence tests after 3 months of sobriety, on average. Cognitive performance was compared with that of an age-matched sample of healthy controls (n = 51).


RESULTS
As a group, the alcoholics achieved significantly lower scores than controls on summary indices of the Wechsler Memory and Adult Intelligence Scales and showed greater decline from estimated premorbid intelligence levels than controls. Almost 60% of the alcoholics had at least one additional psychiatric (mood or anxiety) or past substance-dependence comorbidity. There were no marked sex differences in patterns of comorbidity. Comorbid alcoholics were younger, had consumed less alcohol over their lifetime and performed between noncomorbid alcoholics and controls on all tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Mood and anxiety comorbidity did not necessarily compound poor cognitive test performance associated with chronic alcohol misuse. While unexpected, this finding suggests that, in this sample, poorer cognitive performance was more a function of alcoholism per se than nonalcoholic comorbidity.
Rosenbloom
Margaret J
MJ
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94025, USA.
O'Reilly
Anne
A
Sassoon
Stephanie A
SA
Sullivan
Edith V
EV
Pfefferbaum
Adolf
A
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D013997:Time Factors