Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Sep 2023)
Neurocognitive Recovery in Abstinent Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: A Scoping Review for Associated Factors
Abstract
Jeroen Staudt,1,2 Tim Kok,1 Hein A de Haan,1,3 Serge JW Walvoort,4 Jos IM Egger2,5,6 1Tactus Addiction Treatment, Deventer, the Netherlands; 2Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; 3Nijmegen Institute for Scientist Practitioners in Addiction, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; 4GGZ Oost-Brabant Mental Health Institute, Boxmeer, the Netherlands; 5Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, the Netherlands; 6Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: Jeroen Staudt, Lic. Clinical Neuropsychologist, Innovation and Healthcare Department, Tactus Addiction Treatment, Keulenstraat 3, Deventer, 7418 ET, the Netherlands, Tel +31-6-10562980, Email [email protected]: Studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the extent to which neurocognitive recovery occurs in abstinent patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In addition to abstinence, other factors may have influenced this process and contributed to the inconsistencies. This review examines the factors investigated in this regard and describes the possible influence of each factor based on the evidence collected.Methodology: PubMed was systematically searched for articles published between January 2000 and July 2023. Longitudinal humane studies investigating neurocognitive recovery in abstinent adult AUD patients were included. Studies with a cross-sectional design were excluded, as were studies that did not classify AUD according to the DSM-IV or 5 criteria, only examined binge use, did not report neuropsychological outcomes or duration of abstinence, or where neurological disorders were present.Results: Sixteen categories of factors were distinguished from 31 full-text articles. Consistent patterns were found, indicating an association between neurocognitive recovery and the “smoking” and ‘brain volume” factors. Consistent patterns were also found indicating that there is no relationship with “quantities of alcohol used” and “education level.” A similar consistent pattern was also found for “polysubstance use”, “gender” and “verbal reading”, but the number of studies is considered limited. The association with “age” is studied frequently but with inconsistent findings. The remaining eight factors were regarded as understudied.Conclusion: The clearest patterns emerging from the evidence are a predominantly negative influence of smoking on neurocognitive recovery, associations between changes in brain area volume and neurocognitive recovery, and no association between neurocognitive recovery and the amount of alcohol consumed, as measured by self-report, nor with educational attainment. Future research on the understudied factors and factors with inconsistent evidence is needed, preferably through longitudinal designs with multiple assessment periods starting after at least two weeks of abstinence.Keywords: substance use disorder, alcohol, neurocognitive recovery, contextual neuropsychology, abstinence
