Uekermann J, Daum I, Schlebusch P, Wiebel B, Trenckmann U
Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany.
Addiction. 2003 Nov;98(11):1521-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00526.x.
Studies on cognitive processes in alcoholism have reported changes with respect to executive functions and memory, which have been interpreted within the context of different neuropsychological models. The aims of the present study were to investigate (1) the validity of these models and (2) the influence of depression on cognitive functioning in alcoholism.
DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In the present investigation, patients suffering from alcoholism (Alc; n = 30), patients with depression but without alcoholism (Dep; n = 28) and healthy controls (HC; n = 28) were compared on a neuropsychological test battery.
The test battery included measurements of mood, memory and executive functions. The possible cumulative effect of alcohol and depression was analysed by comparison of depressed alcoholic patients (Dalc) and non-depressed alcoholic patients (NDAlc).
Group comparisons revealed impairments of alcoholic patients with respect to response inhibition, reasoning and free recall, irrespective of depression. Priming, short-term memory as well as verbal fluency abilities were unaffected. Depressive patients showed verbal fluency as well as free recall deficits. However, there was no difference in performance between depressed and non-depressed alcoholics.
The specific pattern of neuropsychological deficits of the alcoholic patients supports the frontal lobe hypothesis. The results of the present investigation suggest that these deficits are not generally exacerbated by comorbid depressive symptoms. Further studies, however, are desirable to investigate the relation between executive deficits and depression in alcoholics with evidence of major depression.
关于酒精中毒认知过程的研究报告了执行功能和记忆方面的变化，这些变化已在不同的神经心理学模型背景下得到解释。本研究的目的是调查：（1）这些模型的有效性；（2）抑郁症对酒精中毒患者认知功能的影响。
设计、地点和参与者：在本调查中，对酒精中毒患者（Alc；n = 30）、患有抑郁症但无酒精中毒的患者（Dep；n = 28）和健康对照者（HC；n = 28）进行了神经心理测试组的比较。
测试组包括情绪、记忆和执行功能的测量。通过比较抑郁的酒精中毒患者（Dalc）和非抑郁的酒精中毒患者（NDAlc），分析了酒精和抑郁症可能的累积效应。
组间比较显示，无论是否患有抑郁症，酒精中毒患者在反应抑制、推理和自由回忆方面均存在损伤。启动效应、短期记忆以及语言流畅性能力未受影响。抑郁症患者表现出语言流畅性以及自由回忆缺陷。然而，抑郁和非抑郁的酒精中毒患者在表现上没有差异。
酒精中毒患者神经心理缺陷的特定模式支持额叶假说。本调查结果表明，这些缺陷通常不会因共病的抑郁症状而加剧。然而，需要进一步研究以调查有重度抑郁症证据的酒精中毒患者执行功能缺陷与抑郁症之间的关系。
