Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Addict Behav. 2012 Feb;37(2):167-72. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.09.015. Epub 2011 Sep 25.
Binge drinking (BD) is prevalent among college students. Studies on alcoholism have shown that the prefrontal cortex is vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. The prefrontal cortex undergoes both structural and functional changes during adolescence and young adulthood. Sex differences have been observed in brain maturation and in alcohol-induced damage. The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationship between BD and cognitive functions subserved by the prefrontal cortex in male and female university students.
The sample comprised 122 undergraduates (aged 18 to 20 years): 62 BD (30 females) and 60 non-BD (29 females). Executive functions were assessed by WMS-III (Backward Digit Span and Backward Spatial Span), SOPT (abstract designs), Letter Fluency (PMR), BADS (Zoo Map and Key Search) and WCST-3.
BD students scored lower in the Backward Digit Span Subtest and generated more perseverative responses in the SOPT In relation to interaction BD by sex, BD males scored lower in the Backward Digit Span test than BD females and non-BD males.
BD is associated with poorer performance of executive functions subserved by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The results do not support enhanced vulnerability of women to alcohol neurotoxic effects. These difficulties may reflect developmental delay or frontal lobe dysfunction.
大学生中普遍存在酗酒（BD）现象。酒精中毒研究表明，前额叶皮质容易受到酒精的神经毒性影响。在青少年和成年早期，前额叶皮质会发生结构和功能变化。在大脑成熟和酒精引起的损伤方面观察到了性别差异。本研究的目的是分析男性和女性大学生中BD 与前额叶皮质认知功能之间的关系。
样本包括 122 名本科生（年龄 18 至 20 岁）：62 名酗酒者（30 名女性）和 60 名非酗酒者（29 名女性）。使用 WMS-III（倒背数字广度和倒背空间广度）、SOPT（抽象设计）、字母流畅性（PMR）、BADS（动物园地图和关键搜索）和 WCST-3 评估执行功能。
BD 组学生在倒背数字广度测验中得分较低，在 SOPT 中的持续性反应较多。在 BD 与性别交互作用方面，BD 男性在倒背数字广度测验中的得分低于 BD 女性和非 BD 男性。
BD 与背外侧前额叶皮质执行功能的表现较差有关。结果不支持女性对酒精神经毒性更易受影响的观点。这些困难可能反映了发育延迟或额叶功能障碍。
