Cognitive functioning in alcoholic patients and efficiency of their correction with use of individualized therapy

Abstract

Objective

To assess severity of cognitive disturbances during use of individualized therapy.

Materials and methods

Study sample included 40 men with diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the period of remission formation. Methods of pictograms, “ten words”, techniques “analogs”, “number square”, “index of functional flexibility of nervous processes” were applied. Measurement was conducted before and after individualized therapy. Depending on structure of cognitive disturbances the individualized therapy included the following: pharmacotherapy, audiovisual, vibrotactile, oxygen-hyperthermic, resonance-acoustic and psychotherapeutic interventions.

Results

Assessment of drawings of the method of pictograms before and after individualized therapy testifies to increase of number of adequate associations in 36.4% of cases, decrease of inadequate symbolic in average from 1.91 scores to 1.77. After therapy part of graphic phenomena-indicators of organic diseases (in 63.64% of patients) and index of severity of organic graphic symptom complex (from 2.14 ± 1.04 to 1.43 ± 0.98, differences are reliable at Р < 0.05) decreased. A set of associations was widened, number of abstractions of high level increased in 31.82% of cases. It was revealed that abilities to generalize and abstract did not change after therapy. Average productivity of mediated remembering after therapy increased from 58,08% to 71.67%. Increase of volume of attention and its switchover capability, increase of average index of functional flexibility of nervous processes from 1.19 ± 0.26 to 1.62 ± 0.16 (differences are reliable at Р < 0.05) were revealed.

Thus, administered with account for structure of disorders individualized therapy allows significant improvement of cognitive functions of alcoholic patients.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.