European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: Alcohol dependence syndrome is a chronic disorder resulting in disturbances of various cognitive function areas. Neuro-anatomical and functional changes of the brain most often affect the prefrontal cortex of the brain and the hippocampus.
Methods: A study was conducted for a period of Two year, Department of psychiatry GMC, Bettiah. A total of 30 cases diagnosed with ADS admitted as psychiatry inpatients and 30 healthy controls were included for the study after taking written informed consent. These patients were evaluated using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-6), Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar), Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), Trail making Test-A and B (TMT-A and B), Digit Span Test(DST), Word list, Stroop test(STR), Tower of Hanoi (TOH). Clinical details were noted during the course of interview.
Results: Compared with controls, persons with alcohol dependence syndrome presented impaired learning abilities which included immediate and delayed, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and in response inhibition.
Conclusion: This study has shown the presence of significant executive dysfunction in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome.