Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2019 Nov;17(4):503-508. 10.9758/cpn.2019.17.4.503.

Difference in Cognitive Function by First Onset Age of Alcohol Induced Blackout and Its Duration

• Min EJ
• Kim SG
• Lee JS
• Seo B
• Jung WY
• Huh SY
• Park JH
• Hong CH
• Yu HJ

• KMID: 2464716
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2019.17.4.503

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Alcohol-induced blackout (blackout) is a typical early symptom of cognitive impairment caused by drinking. However, the first onset age of blackout or the duration after onset of blackout has not been directly compared in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in cognitive function to the first start age of blackouts and their duration.
METHODS
Thirty-one male subjects were included in this study. Their age at the first blackout and the duration after the onset of blackout were investigated. Neuropsychological tests were conducted to determine their attention, memory, and executive function. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their age of the first onset blackout (group O1, < 20 years; group O2, 21-39 years; and group O3, > 40 years). Subjects were also divided into three groups by duration after the onset of blackout (P1, < 10 years; P2, 10-29 years; and P3, > 30 years). We then examined differences in neurocognitive function among these groups.
RESULTS
O1 tended to have a lower memory score than O2 (F = 3.28, p = 0.053). Significant differences were observed in attention and executive function between groups P1 and P3 (Digit Span_backward: F = 6.07, p < 0.05; visual span_forward: F = 4.19, p < 0.05; executive intelligence quotient: F = 3.55, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Greater memory impairment was detected in subjects having an earlier age of the first blackout. The longer the duration after the onset of blackout, the more impaired their attention and executive function skills.

Keyword

Alcohol-induced blackout; Alcohol-induced disorder; Retrograde amnesia; Cognition; Addiction medicine

MeSH Terms

Age of Onset*
Alcohol-Induced Disorders
Amnesia, Retrograde
Cognition Disorders
Cognition*
Drinking
Executive Function
Humans
Intelligence
Male
Memory
Neuropsychological Tests