[Personality differences between alcohol abusers and matched controls: Relation to frontal symptoms and subtypes of addicts]. / Diferencias de personalidad entre adictos al alcohol y controles emparejados: relación con sintomatología frontal y subtipos de adictos.

Epidemiological studies usually show a link between personality disorders and addictions. Dimensional models of personality, such as that of Cloninger, are able to diagnose and discriminate between transient dysfunctional behavior styles and relatively more stable traits. Certain brain areas have been proposed, as trait locations, based on their activation. This paper explores differences in personality traits among a sample of alcohol abusers (N= 95) and a control group of non-clinical population (N= 95), matched in sociodemographic variables, using the TCI-R-67 and the FrSBe-Sp. It is hypothesized that such differences are associated with frontal symptomatology. The existence of different subgroups of addicts based on certain combinations of traits is also analyzed. Results showed significant differences in two temperament traits (Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance) and a characterial trait (Self-Direction). We also found a correlation with a large effect size between these traits and frontal symptomatology. Cluster analysis classified the participants into several subtypes with different combinations of traits that matched diverse frontal symptomatology. Possible neurobiological explanations of these differences and their importance in the clinical practice are discussed.

[Personality and frontal symptomatology in addicts and nonclinical population: toward a neuropsychology of personality]. / Personalidad y sintomatología frontal en adictos y población no clínica: hacia una neuropsicología de la personalidad.

OBJECTIVE: For many years now, Neuropsychology and the Psychology of Personality have developed in parallel, without any attempt to integrate the knowledge provided by the two disciplines. This paper sets out to analyze the relationship between the presence of symptoms in daily life related to the functioning of the brain's frontal lobes and individuals' personality patterns. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX-Sp), the Frontal System Behavior Scale (FrSBe- Sp) and the Inventory of Temperament and Character Revised (TCI-R) were administered to 421 non-clinical participants and 246 individuals in treatment for substance abuse or dependence. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between symptoms for all frontal syndromes (mesial, dorsolateral and orbital) and some personality traits (novelty seeking, harm avoidance and self-directedness), even more than 50% of the variance being predicted. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that frontal performance should be seen as a continuous dimensional variable, ranging from optimal to non-adaptive performance, without a neat cut-off point. Addiction would be related to an increase in frontal symptoms, both mesial (apathy) and orbital (disinhibition), as well as dorsolateral (dysexecutive syndrome), and this would result in changes in the previous personality pattern. These data seriously question the supposed genetic basis of temperamental traits, and suggest hypotheses of great relevance for clinicians.

[Neuropsychological profile in cocaine addiction: issues about addict's social environment and predictive value of cognitive status in therapeutic outcomes]. / Perfil neuropsicológico en la adicción a la cocaína: consideraciones sobre el ambiente social próximo de los adictos y el valor predictivo del estado cognitivo en el éxito terapéutico.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: This study analyses the neuropsychological profile of a sample of cocaine addicts and compares it with a control group from the same social environment. Also, it explores the predictive power of some neuropsychological tests on treatment outcome six months after the exploration. PARTICIPANTS AND METHOD: We administered a neuropsychological battery to 30 patients with a diagnosis of cocaine abuse or cocaine dependence, and to 30 control participants with no history of drug abuse from the same social environment. RESULTS: Verbal learning (p<0.001), immediate visual memory (p<0.05), attentional resources management (p<0.05), phonologic fluency (p<0.01), abstraction (p<0.001), complex problem-solving (p<0.05) and mental flexibility (p<0.05) are the functions most affected by cocaine use. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The alterations found in the addict participants were small and non-pathognomonic, though the deficits can be correlated with impact on quality of life and on everyday occupational performance. The neuropsychological exploration showed a certain predictive capacity of abstinence after 6 months (the addict participants with better verbal mnesic performance and greater mental flexibility at the beginning of the treatment seem to benefit more from this). Finally, the results suggest that addicts live in a cognitively poor social environment. It is suggested that drug use increases previous deficits, probably of an educational or environmental origin, that are common to their immediate social context.

[Spanish version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX-Sp): psychometric properties in addicts and non-clinical sample]. / Versión española del Cuestionario Disejecutivo (DEX-Sp): propiedades psicométricas en adictos y población no clínica.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have shown evidence of executive function impairment associated with substance abuse. This suggests the potential usefulness of a baseline assessment measure to screen for dysexecutive impairments in individuals beginning treatment. The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) is a test widely used to estimate executive dysfunction. The main objective of this work is to study the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX-Sp). A complementary goal is to study its potential utility for initial screening in addicted individuals seeking treatment. METHOD: A sample of 131 non-clinical and 127 clinical individuals meeting the DSM-IV-TR substance abuse or dependence criteria were recruited. RESULTS: Internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed (Cronbach's Alfa=0.91), as well as other reliability indicators. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis offers four- and five-factor solutions. Also tested were the dimensionality and structural model and its convergent and discriminant validity with other instruments. Differences between clinical and non-clinical individuals and total scores were also analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the Spanish version of the DEX is a useful measure for assessing general symptoms of dysexecutive syndrome, and a valid, reliable and adequate screening test for estimating cognitive impairment associated with substance abuse.

[Social values and addiction: applicability and psychometric properties of VAL-89 questionnaire]. / Valores sociales y adiccion: aplicabilidad y propiedades psicometricas del cuestionario VAL-89.

OBJECTIVE: To study the psychometric properties of the VAL-89 questionnaire and its possible use in addict individuals who ask for treatment. METHOD: Analysis of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire and its factorial structure, applying it to 792 individuals. 365 of them were substance users seeking treatment and 427 were general population. RESULTS: Reliability of the questionnaire is confirmed, although its factorial structure appears to be different from the original. In our study appear 12 factors, instead of the original 10. These factors are named: Power, Stimulation, Submission, Tradition, Spirituality, Self-Sufficience, Hedonism, Sociability, Universality, Convencionalism, Idealism and Self-Realization. These factors are distributed through several dimensions represented by four axis: individual-social, dominance-equality, tradition-pleasure and great values-anomie. CONCLUSIONS: The VAL-89 questionnaire seems to be a useful tool to explore which are the more appreciated social values, being of special interest to know which are specially selected by addict individuals.