Cognitive impairment in Aboriginal people with heavy episodic patterns of alcohol use

Abstract

BACKGROUND: With chronic alcohol abuse, cognitive studies suggest that progressive cognitive decline may precede more serious and irreversible neurological syndromes. The early detection of cognitive impairment may therefore aid in the prevention of permanent brain damage. Despite the devastating consequences of alcohol abuse among Aboriginal Australians, the effects on brain function have never been studied in this population and a lack of appropriate assessment tools has prevented the development of such research. AIMS: To determine the impact of long-term and heavy episodic alcohol use on cognitive function in Aboriginal people. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparing heavy episodic alcohol use..