Alcohol Screening in People With Cognitive Impairment: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Routine screening for alcohol misuse in older people with cognitive impairment receiving services in memory clinics is feasible and acceptable. The process of completing alcohol screening tools with older adults receiving services at memory clinics may increase awareness of the potential impact of alcohol on cognitive functioning and provide practitioners with an opportunity to educate service users about the ways that their drinking is affecting their memory. Several techniques to facilitate completion of screening tools were identified. Future research should evaluate the reliability and validity of alcohol screening tools with older people through corroborating screening results with other assessment methods.

<p>Contrastive Analysis of Neuropsychology and Personality Characteristics of Male Lacunar Infarction Patients with Hazardous Drinking and Non-Hazardous Drinking</p>

“…Studies have shown that chronic alcoholism can be caused by long-term excessive drinking, and the direct and indirect toxicity of alcohol can damage the central and peripheral nerves and muscle tissue, causing chronic mental health symptoms, extensive and severe nervous system damage, and eventually causing neuropsychiatric symptoms such as epilepsy, dementia, tremor, delirium, illusion, delusion, ataxia, peripheral sensory disturbance, weakness, etc. [10][11][12] Moreover, chronic alcohol abuse can also change the personality, increase the incidence of anxiety and emotional disorders, affecting the mental health of drinkers, and some drinkers may even commit suicide or engage in criminal behavior. 13 For patients with lacunar infarction, hazardous drinking not only plays the role of "cause" (risk factor), but also has a complex impact on their neuropsychology and personality characteristics due to the longterm damage to the nervous system, psychological basis and characteristics of alcoholic behavior.…”