전산화 신경인지기능 검사를 이용한 알코올 중독자의 인지기능 평가

Neurocognitive Assessment of Chronic Alcoholics by Computerized Neurocognitive Test

Chronic alcoholics show various degrees of dysfunction in abstraction, memory, perception, problem-solving ability, motor performance and so on. The evaluation of neurocognitive status is important to figure out the CNS effect of long-term heavy drinking and the prognosis of alcoholic patients. The present study was designed to assess cognitive deficits of alcoholics with recently developed computerized neurocognitive tests and to inspect the clinical applicability. We administered Standard Progressive Matrices, Cognitrone, Determination Unit, and Motor Performance Test Series in Vienna Test System(Schufried 1994), a computerized test battery, to twenty-two male hospitalized alcoholics who met DSM-III-R criteria for dependence and abuse and were abstinent for at least 6 weeks. Alcoholics tended to show less correct answers on Standard Progressive Matrices than controls, especially in difficult sets to solve, and displayed longer reaction time for correct answer on Cognitrone, less appropriate reactions and more missed reactions on Determination Unit, and poorer performances on Motor Performance Test Series. These results suggest that alcoholics with relatively long abstinence period, though somewhat improved, still manifest deficits of visuo-spatial intelligence, poor motor performance, and psychomotor clumsiness aggravated in stressful situations. Considering many advantages of computerized tests, the computerized neurocognitive tests may be clinically useful for assessing cognitive deficits in alcoholics under certain restriction.