Association between insulin and executive functioning in alcohol dependence: a pilot study

Abstract

Alcohol dependence is a disorder ascribable to multiple factors and leads to cognitive impairment. Given that insulin dysregulation can cause cognitive impairment, patients with alcohol dependence are likely to develop insulin dysregulation such as that in diabetes. The purposes of this study are to identify an association between cognitive functioning and insulin and to investigate insulin as the biomarker of cognitive functioning in alcohol-dependent patients. Serum insulin levels were measured and cognitive functions were assessed in 45 patients with chronic alcoholism. The Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD-K), a battery of cognitive function tests, was used to assess cognitive functioning. Serum insulin levels were not significantly correlated with most CERAD-K scores, but there was a significant negative correlation with scores on the Trail Making Test B, which is designed to measure executive functioning. Lower serum insulin levels were associated with slower executive functioning responses on the Trail Making Test B, suggesting that executive functioning may be in proportion to serum insulin levels. Thus, in patients with alcohol dependence, insulin level is associated with cognitive functioning. In addition, the present findings suggest that insulin level is a potential biomarker for determining cognitive functioning.

Executive Function and Diabetes: A Clinical Neuropsychology Perspective

“…This is also associated with disorders of lipid metabolism and other regulatory hormones. Low serum insulin is associated with EF deficit, suggesting that EF is correlated with serum insulin levels ( Han et al, 2015 ). Elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are significantly associated with better EF performance ( Sun et al, 2019 ), and plasma homocysteine is negatively correlated with EF ( Tian et al, 2017 ).…”