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Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
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Psicothema, 2011. Vol. Vol. 23 (nº 2). 209-214




Weekend alcoholism in youth and neurocognitive aging

Claudia Sanhueza, Luis Miguel García-Moreno and Javier Expósito

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Numerous studies have shown that alcohol intake causes neuropsychological disorders that affect various brain structures. The «premature ageing» hypothesis proposes that the brain areas of alcoholics undergo deterioration similar to that observed in old age. We investigated whether alcohol abuse by young people (binge drinking) causes alterations comparable to some found in elderly people. Ninety-one people were divided into four groups: a) young people who abused alcohol; b) young people who drank alcohol in moderation; c) young people who did not drink alcohol; and d) elderly adults without any significant cognitive deterioration. All of them were assessed with a neuropsychological battery. We observed some similarities in the results obtained by young drinkers and the elderly participants, which would provide some support for the hypothesis of premature aging. The tasks that young drinkers performed worse were those related to executive functions, in which the prefrontal cortex plays an essential role. We also found differences between the two groups of young drinkers (moderate and high consumption), which leads us to believe that the amount of alcohol consumed and the pattern of consumption are factors to consider in relation to cognitive impairment.

Alcoholismo de fin de semana en jóvenes y envejecimiento neurocognitivo. Numerosos estudios han demostrado que la ingesta de alcohol provoca alteraciones neuropsicológicas que afectan a diferentes estructuras en el cerebro. La hipótesis del «envejecimiento prematuro» propone que las áreas del cerebro de alcohólicos sufren un deterioro similar al observado en la vejez. Hemos investigado si el consumo abusivo de alcohol en jóvenes ocasiona algunas alteraciones comparables a las encontradas en personas de edad avanzada. Noventa y una personas fueron divididas en cuatro grupos: a) jóvenes que abusaban del alcohol; b) jóvenes que bebían con moderación; c) jóvenes que no bebían alcohol; y d) ancianos sin deterioro cognitivo significativo, y evaluados con una batería neuropsicológica. Observamos ciertas similitudes entre los resultados obtenidos por los jóvenes bebedores y los mayores, en línea con la hipótesis del envejecimiento prematuro. Las tareas que los jóvenes bebedores realizaron peor fueron las relacionadas con funciones ejecutivas, donde la corteza prefrontal juega un papel esencial. También encontramos diferencias entre los dos grupos de jóvenes bebedores (consumo alto y moderado), lo que nos lleva a pensar que la cantidad de alcohol ingerido y el patrón de consumo son factores a tener en cuenta en relación con el deterioro cognitivo.

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