Three-hundred male alcoholics were selected from consecutive admissions to hospital. They were divided into three diagnostic sub-groups: primary alcoholics; alcoholics with unipolar affective disorder; and alcoholics with bipolar affective disorder. After three follow-up interviews over a 2-year period after hospital discharge, the three sub-groups reported differences in frequency of mood change, amount of treatment received, and hospital attendance, although there were no clear-cut differences in items associated with their alcoholism. There were, however, some indications that bipolar patients functioned at a better level during the follow-up period, particularly those who were older, had a previous history of longer periods of abstinence, and maintained more frequent contact with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and their family doctor.
Three hundred male Irish alcoholics were selected from 508 consecutive alcoholic admissions to hospital. Using well defined diagnostic criteria, they were divided into three subgroups (1) primary alcoholics, (2) alcoholics with secondary affective disorder and (3) those with primary affective disorder and secondary alcoholism. Although the three groups reported differences in past history and family history of affective disorder and in time spent in hospital for both alcoholism and affective disorder, there was little to distinguish them in behaviour associated with alcoholism or in family history of alcoholism. The implications of these findings and their significance for the relationship of affective disorder and alcoholism are discussed.
There is limited evidence of specific neuropsychological impairments in participants with PD. Impairments in short term memory warrant further investigation to establish their relevance to clinical practice. Larger sample sizes and appropriate statistical adjustment for multiple comparisons in future studies is highly recommended.
The relationship between Affective Disorder and Alcoholism is complex and has been studied extensively. Increased rates of depression are reported in alcoholics and in families of alcoholics. Some studies report that drinking behaviour may be influenced by the coexistence of depressive disorder while others indicate that depressed mood has little impact on the course and treatment of alcoholism. Some people who are depressed turn to alcohol as a form of self-medication and many of these have positive results from it, both due to the pharmacological effects of the drug and the self-limiting nature of most depressive episodes. Those with more severe depression, however, are less likely to benefit in this way. Excessive alcohol taken under such circumstances results in diminishing returns; alcohol becomes more of a contributor to the problem than a solution to it. There is no convincing evidence that drugs including anti-depressants and lithium are effective in the treatment of depressed alcoholics, except for those minority of patients where the diagnosis of primary affective disorder can be established. In such cases the indications for lithium and anti-depressant usage are similar as for non alcoholics with affective disorder. Decisions about the choice of treatment to be offered the alcoholic must be made as quickly and as accurately as possible and can only be done after a careful assessment, which may include hospitalization. It is worth noting that the pharmacologically induced depression of heavy drinking and the depression associated with the withdrawal phase may be clinically similar to the depression of primary affective disorder.
Abstract-Evaluation of cognitive function is an important tool in clinical care. A novel method of cognitive monitoring is proposed, whereby subjects complete three sessions of the popular past-time Sudoku while EEG is recorded. Data epochs surrounding a correct solution are extracted and compared to a resting condition. Mean EEG amplitude in the alpha and theta bands are examined by means of the temporal spectral evolution method, and significant results include a desynchronization of alpha amplitude coinciding with an increase in theta amplitude prior to a correct solution in healthy adults. These results indicate that Sudoku may function as a light-touch, non-invasive and enjoyable means of monitoring for deteriorations in cognitive status.
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