A cross sectional study of cognitive impairment in patients of alcohol use disorder attending a tertiary health care center in Central India

Background: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have been prevalent among all societies and across the country. In India, the prevalence of AUD in 2010 as reported by the World Health Organization was 2.6% and 1.7% had reported heavy episodic drinking. AUD in India is especially important to watch out for because of consumption of country liquor and high rates of alcohol use in rural population. The aim of the study was to find the relation between AUD and cognitive impairment. Methods: The present study was carried out in the department of psychiatry of a tertiary health-care center and the data were collected from diagnosed cases of AUD. The sociodemographic profile and clinical variables were recorded in specific case report form prepared for this clinical study using Mini-Mental State Examination, Brief Cognitive Rating Scale (BCRS), and Bender Visual–Motor Gestalt Test Second Edition (BG II). Results: Of the 100 patients studied, most were young between the age groups of 18 and 30 (44.0%) years, followed by 31–40 years (40.0%), and 16.0% were above 40 years of age. Most of the patients had a history of alcohol use <10 years (43.0%) and 11–20 years (40.0%), whereas only 17% had it for over 20 years. Sociodemographic parameters such as age, marital status, family type, and residence and alcohol use parameters such as duration, pattern, type, severity, family history, and onset of alcohol use were significantly associated with the measures of cognitive function, i.e., Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), BCRS, and BG II. Conclusions: Longer duration of alcohol use, severity of AUD, daily drinking, heavy drinking, country liquor consumption started early in age, and family history of alcoholism influence the cognitive dysfunction in patients of AUD.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA

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