Publication Abstract Display
Type: Poster
Title: Recovery of executive functioning among abstinent alcohol-dependent patients.
Authors: Alhassoon OM, Sorg SS, Taylor MJ, Stephan RA, Sari C, Schweinsburg BC, Grant I
Date: 06-27-2012
Abstract:Previous research has demonstrated the impact of alcohol on executive functioning in recently detoxified alcoholics (RDAs). However, the pattern of recovery among these patients is much less understood. Fifteen RDAs were assessed two weeks after and one year after abstinence, and compared to 15 age- and education-matched controls on the Halstead Category Test (HCT), the Trail Making Test – Part B (TRAILS), and the Digit Span backward (DIGITS). A 2 (Time) X 2 (Group) ANOVA was performed on each of the neuropsychological measures. For DIGITS, results showed a time by group interaction. This significant interaction was the result of an improvement in the average T-score of RDAs; but not controls. At baseline, RDAs performed significantly lower than controls on DIGITS. They were not significantly different from each other at follow-up. In contrast, for the HCT, results revealed a significant effect of time. This result reflected the significant improvements in the HCT T-scores over time in controls; but not in RDAs. However, the two groups were statistically significantly different at both baseline and follow-up. For the TRAILS, results showed no statistically significant differences between the two group. The results suggest that while the controls were able to learn and retain strategies used in performing the HCT at baseline, the RDAs showed no statistically significant change on this task. On the other hand, on the test that is less susceptible to practice effect (DIGITS), the controls did not show statistically significant change over the two testing periods while the RDAs improved; thus highlighting the potential role of both executive dysfunction and learning deficits in the recovery process among RDAs.

return to publications listing