Neurocognitive Ability in Adults Coping with Alcohol and Drug Relapse Temptations

Abstract

Coping is important for preventing relapse, but may be utilized differently depending on the individual's level of cognitive functioning. Impaired reasoning, attention, and memory are commonly observed in alcohol-dependent individuals. This study describes the prospective relationship between neuropsychological functioning and utilization of coping strategies in predicting outcome one year after discharge from an inpatient alcohol treatment program. Male veterans (n = 43) hospitalized in an alcohol treatment facility were given structured interviews, coping questionnaires, and neuropsychological testing, and were followed three and 12 months after discharge. Neuropsychological ability moderated the relationship between coping and drinking outcomes one year after treatment. This was particularly true for patients with better neurocognitive functioning. Specifically, patients with higher neurocognitive performances and more maladaptive coping responses, such as self-blame, had a greater percentage of drinking days at follow-up. Alcohol-dependent adults with good neuropsychological functioning may be able to benefit more from coping skills training. For those with neuropsychological deficits, coping skills training may need to take cognitive limitations into consideration.

Neuropsychological functioning and alcohol dependence

“…But, in general, the direct association between cognitive deficits and therapy outcome is weak [26] and increase in neuropsychological ability during treatment demonstrated only small effect sizes [27 ]. Nevertheless, there are first signs of important interactions of executive functioning with personality (like self-efficacy) and situation (in-or out-patient treatment) [26], and interactions of cognitive ability and successful coping with high-risk situations [28 ]. Patients with better neurocognitive functioning but maladaptive coping styles (e.g.…”

EEG Biofeedback as a Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Review, Rating of Efficacy and Recommendations for Further Research

“…It is suggested that many of the neurophysiological markers may provide information about the state of the individual prior to the development of an addictive disorder and that these brain functions are under genetic control Porjesz et al, 2005;Tapert et al, 2004). Kaplan et al (1985) reported lower frontal alpha and slow-beta coherence in alcohol-dependent male and female participants.…”

Differences in cognitive abilities among young women alcohol users / Diferencias en habilidades cognitivas entre jóvenes universitarias consumidoras de alcohol

“…Algunos trabajos recientes incluso señalan que la mejora de estas funciones reduce el número de recaídas y el mejor cumplimiento del tratamiento (Fujiwara et al, 2008;Tapert et al, 2004).…”

“…La mayoría de estos estudios demuestran que tanto el uso como el abuso de sustancias psicoactivas puede afectar a determinadas funciones cognitivas. Estas investigaciones se centran en la evaluación y el estudio de las funciones cognitivas asociadas a la corteza prefrontal, tareas de atención y memoria de trabajo (Cortes Tomas, Espejo Tort, & Gimenez Costa, 2008;Dante, 2007;Durazzo, Rothlind, Gazdzinski, & Meyerhoff, 2008;Easton, Sacco, Neavins, Wupperman, & George, 2008;Grenard et al, 2008;Labudda, Todorovski, Markowitsch, & Brand, 2008;Prat, Adan, Perez-Pamies, & SanchezTuret, 2008;Secades-Villa, García Fernández, García-Rodríguez, Álvarez Carriles, & Sánchez Hervás, 2008;Tapert, Ozyurt, Myers, & Brown, 2004;Verdejo-Garcia & Perez-Garcia, 2008;Verdejo-Garcia, Rivas-Perez, Lopez-Torrecillas, & Perez-Garcia, 2006;Verdejo-Garcia, Lopez-Torrecillas, Aguilar de Arcos, & Perez-Garcia, 2005). Algunos estudios han descrito, incluso, graves alteraciones por el consumo abusivo de alcohol, como es el caso de la demencia de Korsakoff (Fujiwara, Brand, Borsutzky, Steingass, & Markowitsch, 2008;Pitel et al, 2008).…”