Neurocognitive aspects of alcoholism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2024.v14.1120Keywords:
alcoholism, cognition, dementia, Wernicke encephalopathy, Korsakoff syndromeAbstract
Introduction: Prolonged and excessive alcohol use can cause structural and functional brain damage, causing cognitive deficits. The best-known cognitive repercussions of alcoholism were described by psychiatrists: Wernicke's syndrome (WS), Korsakoff's amnesia (AK), and Alcoholism-Associated Dementia (AAD). Methods: This is a narrative review about the cognitive aspects related to alcoholism, with an emphasis on AAD. Results: WS is composed of a triad of ophthalmoplegia, ataxic gait and changes in mental status. AK is a residual syndrome after WS, characterized by global amnesia, confabulations, and behavioral changes. AAD is an organic syndrome with severe cognitive dysfunction, executive dysfunction, difficulty in emotional control and memory impairment. There are still currently doubts regarding the etiopathogenesis, nosological status, prevalence, and diagnostic criteria for AAD, due to the difficulty of assessment and several confounding factors, therefore the current understanding of this form of dementia remains limited. Conclusions: AAD is a form of dementia that is generally pre-senile and to some extent reversible and can be defined from a neuroanatomical point of view as cortico-subcortical and clinically manifesting with amnestic, frontal-dysexecutive, cerebellar and subcortical symptoms. Until we have a greater understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of AAD, it is highly unlikely that a unique and reproducible set of diagnostic criteria will be developed.
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