Alcoholism, Aging, and Cognition: A Review of Evidence for Shared or Independent Impairments
Titel:
Alcoholism, Aging, and Cognition: A Review of Evidence for Shared or Independent Impairments
Auteur:
Glass, Jennifer M. Park, Denise C. Zucker, Robert A.
Verschenen in:
Aging, neuropsychology, and cognition
Paginering:
Jaargang 6 (1999) nr. 3 pagina's 157-178
Jaar:
1999-09
Inhoud:
Little is known about the combined effects of aging and alcoholism on cognitive function, in spite of the potential importance of this knowledge. Studies reported to date have focused on whether aging and alcoholism have shared mechanisms (i.e., the premature aging hypothesis) or independent mechanisms. Most have concluded that the effects of aging and alcoholism on cognition operate through independent mechanisms. However, there are reasons to doubt this conclusion. Many of the studies were not optimally designed to discover shared mechanisms because they used a limited range of ages, included several different groups in their analyses, or had low statistical power. Furthermore, interpretation of the patterns of main effects and interactions between aging and alcoholism is not straightforward. Assumptions must be made about the nature of the impairments in order to interpret the data. This review uses several theories of cognitive aging as an organizing heuristic for interpreting the extant data on aging, cognition, and alcoholism. Some potential shared mechanisms for cognitive deficits in aging and alcoholism are identified, such as information processing speed and proactive interference in working memory. In contrast, some potential independent mechanisms are also identified, such as decay from working and long-term memory. These mechanisms should be used as a base to guide necessary further research.