Does Social Drinking Affect Memory in Older Adults?

Journal of Clinical Geropsychology - Tập 6 - Trang 133-138 - 2000
Tony Cellucci1, Scott Carter2, W. James Evans3
1Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello
2Psychology Department, Francis Marion University, Florence
3McLeod Regional Medical Center, Florence

Tóm tắt

The present study examines the possible impact of drinking status on objective memory performance in older adults. Subjects were 214 seniors who were participating in a memory research project and had been screened for cognitive impairment. Cognitive measures included the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the visual reproduction subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised. Drinking status classification (i.e., abstinent, past drinker, light drinker, moderate drinker, and problem drinker) was based on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test scores for the past year and report of past drinking history. Very few subjects were classified in the problem group, with the majority abstaining in the past year. Findings indicated that problem drinkers differed from moderate social drinkers on immediate visual memory, and also had a trend for more retroactive interference on the CVLT. There was no evidence that moderate social drinking (average 13.6 standard drinks) had an adverse impact on memory in this population.

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