Neuropsychological function and platelet monoamine oxidase activity levels in type I alcoholic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To explore neuropsychological function in two differentiated patterns of platelet monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) activity in alcoholic patients.


METHODS
Neuropsychological examination and platelet MAO B activity extracted from blood were collected from 42 alcohol-dependent patients recruited in the alcoholism unit (NETER) of the Psychiatric Service of Santa Maria University Hospital.


RESULTS
Alcoholics presented significantly low levels of platelet MAO B activity, when compared with control subjects; platelet MAO B activity in alcoholics classified as "under average subgroup" showed significant lower scores in the Raven Progressive Matrix and higher scores in hostility dimension, when compared with platelet MAO B activity in "above average subgroup."


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggested platelet MAO B as a trait marker also to type I alcohol-dependent patients and the two observed associations between platelet MAO B activity with neurocognitive measures of executive functions (nonverbal reasoning) and psychopathological dimension such as hostility may support the notion about the effect of platelet MAO B activity in the further development of an impulsive cognitive style.
Pombo
Samuel
S
Psychiatric Service of Santa Maria General Hospital, Núcleo de Estudos e Tratamento do Etilo-Risco (NETER), Lisbon, Portugal. samuelpombo@gmail.com
Levy
Pilar
P
Bicho
Manuel
M
Ismail
Fátima
F
Cardoso
J M Neves
JM
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D008995:Monoamine Oxidase