september 2024

Relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment in the adult population over 60 years of age: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol is the most consumed substance in Western culture and its use is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and disorders. Our objective was to determine the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment in people aged >/=60, and identify which cognitive functions are most affected by prolonged alcohol consumption.

METHODS: Search in MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Psicodoc, CochraneCochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners researchers patient advocates and o... and Web of Science databases. The search was limited to articles published from 2010 to 2020. A total of 8716 articles were obtained. Those repeated and unrelated to the topic were eliminated, leaving a total of seven articles: five longitudinal studies, covering the relationship between alcohol and cognitive impairment; and two cross-sectional studies, which helped identify which cognitive functions are more affected. This systematic review was carried out in accordance with the criteria of the PRISMA statement.

RESULTS: Most of the studies found conclude that no or excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, compared to moderate consumption. In addition, excessive and prolonged alcohol consumption can evolve into secondary alcoholic dementia such as Marchiafava-Bignami disease, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or pellagra. In people with alcohol use disorder, the cognitive functions that are most affected are executive functions, visuospatial skills, attention and memory.

Additional Info

  • Authors

    Devi-Bastida J.; Xifre-Passols M.; Oviedo-Penuela L. M.; Teresa Abellan-Vidal M.; Dolores Lopez-Villegas M.
  • Issue

    Periodical: Rev Colomb Psiquiatr (Engl Ed) - Volume: 53 - Number: 3 - Edition: 20241028
  • Published Date

    september 2024