Citation

Mota N, Parada M, Crego A, Doallo S, Caamaño-Isorna F, Rodríguez Holguín S, Cadaveira F, Corral M. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013; 133(1): 108-114.

Affiliation

Departamento de Fundamentos de Psicologia, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco de Xavier, 524, 10̊ andar, Bloco B, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.05.024

PMID

23791027

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a time of considerable neurodevelopment. Binge drinking (BD) during this period increases the vulnerability to its neurotoxic effects. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the relationship between BD trajectory over university years and neuropsychological functioning. METHODS: Cohort-study. Two-year follow-up. A total of 89 university students were assessed: 40 Non-BD (at Initial and Follow-up), 16 Ex-BD (BD at Initial but not at Follow-up) and 33 BD (at both times). Neuropsychological assessment of working memory, episodic memory and executive abilities was carried out during their first (Initial) and third (Follow-up) academic year at the University of Santiago de Compostela. RESULTS: BD subjects performed less well on the Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III) Logical Memory Subtest (immediate theme recall, P=.034; delayed theme recall, P=.037; and percent retention, P=.035) and committed more perseverative errors on the Self-Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT) (P=.021) than Non-BD. There were no differences between Ex-BD and Non-BD. CONCLUSIONS: Binge drinking trajectory during adolescence is associated with neuropsychological performance. Persistent BD, but not Ex-BD, is associated with verbal memory and monitoring difficulties. This is compatible with the hypothesis that heavy alcohol use during adolescence may affect cognitive functions that rely on the temporomesial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Language: en