Cognitive Changes in Comorbidity Alcohol Dependence and Affective Disorders

In this study, we sought to assess the level of cognitive functioning in patients with comorbid alcohol dependence and affective disorder, as well as to compare the detected changes with the indicators of cognitive tests in patients suffering only from alcoholism or affective disorder. It is suggested that patients with comorbidity may have a more severe cognitive deficit than patients with a single diagnosis.

Materials and methods. We examined 100 patients aged 30–50 years before treatment: 30 patients with affective disorders, 40 patients with alcohol dependence and 30 patients with comorbid alcohol dependence and affective disorder. As a control group, 30 mentally and somatically healthy individuals were examined. The level of cognitive functioning was assessed using computer tests Go/No-go, Corsi and Stroop.

Results. Statistically significantly lower indicators of cognitive functioning were found in patients with comorbid alcohol dependence and affective disorder in comparison with all the studied groups.

Conclusion. The data obtained in the study indicate that the presence of comorbidity of alcohol dependence and affective disorder in patients leads to a significant deterioration in cognitive functions: Executive control, working memory, attention and cognitive flexibility compared to healthy individuals, as well as patients suffering only from alcohol dependence or affective disorder.

1. Rozin AI, Roshhina OV, Peshkovskaja AG, Belokrylov II. Komorbidnye sochetanija alkogol’noj zavisimosti i depressivnyh rasstrojstv. Sibirskij vestnik psihiatrii i narkologii. 2018;(4):40–45. (In Russ.).

2. Vasil’eva SN, Simutkin GG, Schastnyj ED. Kliniko-dinamicheskie harakteristiki bipoljarnogo affektivnogo rasstrojstva pri komorbidnosti s drugimi psihicheskimi rasstrojstvami. Sibirskij vestnik psihiatrii i narkologii. 2017;(2):16–20. (In Russ.).

3. Gofman AG, Jashkina IV, Ponizovskij PA, Kozhinova TA. Alkogolizm i narkomanija v Rossii. Narkologija. 2016;(2):6–12. (In Russ.).

4. Ponizovskij PA, Gofman AG. Depressija u bol’nyh s alkogol’noj zavisimost’ju. Zhurnal nevrologii i psihiatrii imeni C.C. Korsakova. 2015;(7):146–150. (In Russ.).

5. Briere FN, Rohde P, Seeley JR, Klein D, Lewinsohn PM. Comorbidity between major depression and alcohol use disorder from adolescence to adulthood. Compr. Psychiatry. 2014;(3):526–533. DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.10.007

6. Becker A, Ehret AM, Kirsch P. From the neurobiological basis of comorbid alcohol dependence and depression to psychological treatment strategies: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. 2017;(17):153. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1324-0

7. Balanza-Martinez V, Crespo-Facorro B, Gonzalez- Pinto A, Vieta E. Bipolar disorder comorbid with alcohol use disorder: focus on neurocognitive correlates. Front Physiol. 2015;(6):108. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00108

8. Jeanblanc J. Comorbidity Between Psychiatric Diseases and Alcohol Use Disorders: Impact of Adolescent Alcohol Consumption. Curr. Addict. Rep. 2015;(2):293–301. DOI: 10.1007/s40429-015-0076-5

9. Sivolap JP. Antidepressanty v lechenii alkogolizma. Zhurnal nevrologii i psihiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. Specvypuski. 2012;(5):32–35. (In Russ.).

10. Roshhina OV, Rozin AI, Schastnyj ED, Bohan NA. Klinicheskoe znachenie komorbidnosti affektivnyh rasstrojstv i alkogol’noj zavisimosti. Bjulleten’ sibirskoj mediciny. 2019;(4):110–118. (In Russ.).

11. Sergina VA, Loginov IP. Komorbidnost’ rasstrojstv depressivnogo spektra i alkogol’noj zavisimosti. Dal’nevostochnyj medicinskij zhurnal. 2014;(3):100–106. (In Russ.).

12. Galkin SA. Kliniko-nejrofiziologicheskie osobennosti komorbidnosti alkogol’noj zavisimosti i affektivnyh rasstrojstv. Nevrologicheskij vestnik. 2019;(3):57–59. (In Russ.).

13. Vetrilje LA, Nevidimova TI, Davydova TV, Zaharova IA, Savochkina DN, Galkin SA, Bohan NA. Autoantitela k nejromediatoram dofaminu, noradrenalinu, serotoninu, glutamatu i GAMK pri komorbidnom techenii depressii i alkogol’noj zavisimosti. Patologicheskaja fiziologija i jeksperimental’naja terapija. 2019;(4):5–12. (In Russ.).

14. Galkin SA, Simutkin GG, Vasil’eva SN, Kisel’ NI, Mandel’ AI, Ivanova SA. Osobennosti spektral’nyh harakteristik EEG pri komorbidnosti alkogol’noj zavisimosti i affektivnyh rasstrojstv. Psihicheskoe zdorov’e. 2019;(7):24–30. (In Russ.).

15. Le Berre AP, Fama R, Sullivan EV. Executive Functions, Memory, and Social Cognitive Deficits and Recovery in Chronic Alcoholism: A Critical Review to Inform Future Research. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research. 2017;(8):1432–1443. DOI: 10.1111/acer.13431

16. Peshkovskaja AG, Galkin SA. Kognitivnyj kontrol’ pri alkogol’noj zavisimosti i ego nejrokorreljaty. Voprosy narkologii. 2018;(12):65–80. (In Russ.).

17. Bernardin F, Maheut-Bosser A, Paille F. Cognitive impairments in alcohol-dependent subjects. Front. Psychiatry. 2014;(5):78. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00078

18. Galkin SA, Peshkovskaja AG, Simutkin GG, Vasil’eva SN, Roshhina OV, Ivanova SA, Bohan NA. Narushenija funkcii prostranstvennoj rabochej pamjati pri depressii legkoj stepeni tjazhesti i ih nejrofiziologicheskie korreljaty. Zhurnal nevrologii i psihiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. 2019;(10):56–61. (In Russ.).

19. Bilyukov RG, Nikolov MS, Pencheva VP. Cognitive Impairment and Affective Disorders in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Front Psychiatry. 2018;(9):357. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00357

20. Janushko MG, Shamanina MV, Kif R, Shipilin MJu. Kognitivnye narushenija pri affektivnyh rasstrojstvah. Sposoby diagnostiki i vozmozhnosti korrekcii. Sovremennaja terapija psihicheskih rasstrojstv. 2015;(4):8–13. (In Russ.).

21. Hunt S, Kay-Lambkin F, Baker A, Michie P. Systematic review of neurocognition in people with co-occurring alcohol misuse and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2015;(179):51–64. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.03.024

22. Lee R, Dore G, Juckes L, Regt T, Naismith S, Lagopoulos J, Tickell A, Hickie I, Hermens D. Cognitive dysfunction and functional disability in alcohol-dependent adults with or without a comorbid affective disorder. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry. 2015;(3):222–231. DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2015.1014031

23. Höijer I, Ilonen T, Löyttyniemi E, Salokangas R. Neuropsychological performance in patients with substance use disorder with and without mood disorders. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry. 2020;(1). DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2020.1734079

24. Gomez P, Ratcliff R, Perea M. A model of the go/nogo task. J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 2007;(3):389–413. DOI: 10.1037/0096-3445.136.3.389

25. Brunetti R, Del Gatto C, Delogu F. eCorsi: implementation and testing of the Corsi block-tapping task for digital tablets. Front. Psychol. 2014;(5):939. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00939

26. Mead LA, Mayer AR, Bobholz JA, Woodley SJ, Cunningham JM, Hammeke TA, Rao SM. Neural basis of the Stroop interference task: response competition or selective attention? J. Int. Neuropsychol. Soc. 2002;(6):735–742. DOI: 10.1017/s1355617702860015

27. Roberts W, Miller MA, Weafer J, Fillmore MT. Heavy drinking and the role of inhibitory control of attention. Exp. Clin. Psychopharmacol. 2014;(2):133–140. DOI: 10.1037/a0035317

28. Palmwood EN, Krompinger JW, Simons RF. Electrophysiological indicators of inhibitory control deficits in depression. Biol. Psychol. 2017;(130):1–10. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.10.001

29. Epp AM, Dobson KS, Dozois DJ, Frewen PA. A systematic meta-analysis of the Stroop task in depression. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 2012;(4):316–328. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.02.005

30. Uekermann J, Daum I, Schlebusch P, Wiebel B, Trenckmann U. Depression and cognitive functioning in alcoholism. Addiction. 2003;(11):1521–1529. DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00526.x