Changes in processing speed during early abstinence from alcohol dependence.

BACKGROUND: Processing speed is a task-independent construct underpinning more complex goal-related abilities. Processing speed is impaired in alcohol dependence (AD) and is linked to relapse, as are the functions it underpins. Reliable measurement of processing speed may allow tracking of AD recovery trajectories and identify patients requiring additional support. AIMS: To assess changes in reaction time (RT) from baseline (at the start of a detoxification programme) across early abstinence. METHODS: Vibrotactile RT was assessed in early recovery between days 3 and 7 of treatment in 66 individuals with AD (25 females; aged 19-74, 44.60 ± 10.60 years) and against 35 controls tested on one occasion (19 females; 41.00 ± 13.60), using two multivariate multiple regressions. A mixed multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) of available AD data (n = 45) assessed change in RT between timepoints and between treatment settings (outpatient vs inpatient). RESULTS: The group (AD vs control) significantly predicted choice RT at baseline and follow-up but did not significantly predict simple RT or RT variability, which is inconsistent with previous findings. At follow-up, mental fatigue was also predicted by the group, and MANCOVA indicated that this had worsened in inpatients but improved in outpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Recovery of RT measures so early in the treatment journey was not in line with previous research which indicates persisting deficits. The interaction between setting and timepoint indicates that despite being typically less medically complex, outpatients require ongoing support and monitoring during their recovery.

Qualitative analysis of UK women's attitudes to calorie-based alcohol marketing and alcohol calorie labelling.

Mandatory standardized nutritional information on alcoholic drinks such as energy, or calorie labelling, is a population-level public health measure aimed at addressing obesity and alcohol consumption. In the UK, such measures are not a statutory requirement, but some alcohol brands do include references to calories on their products and in their marketing materials, as a marketing strategy to encourage sales and consumption. This article presents findings of semi-structured individual (N = 43) and group (N = 9) interviews with 78 women living in the UK that aimed to gain insight into their attitudes towards calorie-based alcohol brand marketing, and alcohol calorie labelling (ACL) as a health policy. Three themes are presented that outline how women rejected calorie marketing and labelling; the potential positive and unintended impact on alcohol consumption and dietary/eating practices; and how views on calorie labelling were intertwined with women's attitudes towards marketing that draws on calorie messaging. A feminist anti-diet discourse, as well as a discourse of pleasure through alcohol consumption, was at play in women's accounts, which may limit the intended aims of ACLs. It is concluded that ACLs should be considered within the wider commercial context of alcohol marketing that draws on calories to promote sales and consumption, consideration of the gendered factors that may lead some to reject ACLs as a health policy, and the potential for unintended consequences.

'Just a colour?': Exploring women's relationship with pink alcohol brand marketing within their feminine identity making.

BACKGROUND: The pinking of alcohol products and marketing (i.e. the (over) use of the colour pink as a feminine aesthetic) is a form of gendered marketing that is used by the industry to target and appeal to the female market, and encourage sales and alcohol consumption. However, little is known about how women relate to and view such marketing, and how such products feature in their performance of femininities through drinking practice. METHODS: Semi-structured individual (N = 39) and group (N = 79) interviews with 117 women who drank alcohol and participated in the night time economy in the city of Liverpool in North West of England were conducted to gain insight into their attitudes towards the use of pink in alcohol product design and marketing content, and how this relates to their feminine identity making in intersectional ways. Interviews with individuals (N = 23) working in alcohol brand marketing locally, nationally and globally were also conducted to explore the use of pink marketing. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: The pinking of products and marketing was considered the most obvious form of female targeted marketing by both women and marketers. Discussion of pink drinks generated in depth discussions of the femininities and connotations attached to the colour. Reflecting a conventional and normative femininity, women conformed to, and/or rejected pink products and marketing, within their feminine identity making. Four themes are presented that draw attention to the similarities and differences between marketers and women's perspectives on pink marketing, and how women's relationship with pink marketing and products were nuanced, varied in relation to their feminist identities, and intersected with other social positions such as sexuality and class. CONCLUSION: The article makes an original and significant contribution to the field on gendered drinking practices and identity making and the influence of alcohol marketing on these processes, and is novel in addressing the usual omission of industry voice in discussions of marketing. It concludes that in the current context of contemporary feminism, in which (young) women are endorsing feminist identities, women's relationship with feminism influences their attitudes to marketing such as pinking, and their likelihood of consuming such products.

Planning and implementing community-based drug checking services in Scotland: a qualitative exploration using the consolidated framework for implementation research.

BACKGROUND: Drug checking services (DCS) provide harm reduction support and advice to individuals based on chemical analysis of submitted substances of concern. Whilst there are currently no DCS in Scotland, community-based services are being planned in three cities. METHODS: In this paper, we report qualitative findings based on interviews with 43 participants, focused on perceptions of DCS and their implementation. Participants were relevant professionals, those with experience of drug use, and family members of those with experience of drug use. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to inform data collection and analysis. We report findings under nine constructs/themes across the five CFIR domains. RESULTS: Participants noted the importance of DCS being implemented in low-threshold, trusted services with a harm reduction ethos, and outlined a range of further service design considerations such as speed of testing, and information provided through the analysis process. In relation to the 'inner setting', a key finding related to the potential value of leveraging existing resources in order to expand both reach and effectiveness of drug trend communication. The approach of local and national police to DCS, and the attitudes of the public and local community, were described as important external factors which could influence the success (or otherwise) of implementation. Bringing together a range of stakeholders in dialogue and developing tailored communication strategies were seen as ways to build support for DCS. Overall, we found high levels of support and perceived need for DCS amongst all stakeholder groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings present initial implementation considerations for Scotland which could be further explored as DCS are operationalised. Further, our focus on implementation contexts is relevant to research on DCS more generally, given the minimal consideration of such issues in the literature.

Recovery of neuropsychological function following abstinence from alcohol in adults diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder: Systematic review of longitudinal studies.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorders (AUD) associate with structural and functional brain differences, including impairments in neuropsychological function; however, reviews (mostly cross-sectional) are inconsistent with regards to recovery of such functions following abstinence. Recovery is important, as these impairments associate with treatment outcomes and quality of life. OBJECTIVE(S): To assess neuropsychological function recovery following abstinence in individuals with a clinical AUD diagnosis. The secondary objective was to assess predictors of neuropsychological recovery in AUD. METHODS: Following the preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022308686), APA PsycInfo, EBSCO MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched between 1999-2022. Study reporting follows the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis, study quality was assessed using the JBI Checklist for Cohort Studies. Eligible studies were those with a longitudinal design that assessed neuropsychological recovery following abstinence from alcohol in adults with a clinical diagnosis of AUD. Studies were excluded if participant group was defined by another or co-morbid condition/injury, or by relapse. Recovery was defined as function reaching 'normal' performance. RESULTS: Sixteen studies (AUD n = 783, controls n = 390) were selected for narrative synthesis. Most functions demonstrated recovery within 6-12 months, including sub-domains within attention, executive function, perception, and memory, though basic processing speed and working memory updating/tracking recovered earlier. Additionally, verbal fluency was not impaired at baseline (while verbal function was not assessed compared to normal levels), and concept formation and reasoning recovery was inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that recovery of most functions is possible. While overall robustness of results was good, methodological limitations included lack of control groups, additional methods to self-report to confirm abstinence, description/control for attrition, statistical control of confounds, and of long enough study durations to capture change.

"It would really support the wider harm reduction agenda across the board": A qualitative study of the potential impacts of drug checking service delivery in Scotland.

Drug checking services (DCS) enable individuals to voluntarily submit a small amount of a substance for analysis, providing information about the content of the substance along with tailored harm reduction support and advice. There is some evidence suggesting that DCS may lead to behaviour and system change, with impacts for people who use drugs, staff and services, and public health structures. The evidence base is still relatively nascent, however, and several evidence gaps persist. This paper reports on qualitative interviews with forty-three participants across three Scottish cities where the implementation of community-based DCS is being planned. Participants were drawn from three groups: professional participants; people with experience of drug use; and affected family members. Findings focus on perceived harm reduction impacts of DCS delivery in Scotland, with participants highlighting the potential for drug checking to impact a number of key groups including: individual service users; harm reduction services and staff; drug market monitoring structures and networks; and wider groups of people who use and sell drugs, in shaping their interactions with the drug market. Whilst continued evaluation of individual health behaviour outcomes is crucial to building the evidence base for DCS, the findings highlight the importance of extending evaluation beyond these outcomes. This would include evaluation of processes such as: information sharing across a range of parties; engagement with harm reduction and treatment services; knowledge building; and increased drug literacy. These broader dynamics may be particularly important for evaluations of community-based DCS serving individuals at higher-risk, given the complex relationship between information provision and health behaviour change which may be mediated by mental and physical health, stigma, criminalisation and the risk environment. This paper is of international relevance and adds to existing literature on the potential impact of DCS on individuals, organisations, and public health structures.

Little Evidence for the Role of Disgust Sensitivity in Implicit Disgust to Images of White People Engaged in Injecting Drug Use (IDU).

Background: Previous research has shown that People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) are subject to public stigma, which affects access to, and provision and quality of, treatment and support services. Less is known about the socio-cognitive processes that support the development and maintenance of public stigma toward PWID. The present study investigated the role of disgust sensitivity in implicit disgust to injecting drug use. Methods: 126 participants took part in an online Implicit Association Task (IAT) measuring implicit disgust to pictorial stimuli of injecting drug use or medical injecting. Participants also completed The Disgust Scale Revised, Injecting Phobia Scale (Short Form), Attitudes to People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) scale and a substance use inventory. Results: Average IAT score was negative indicating significantly higher implicit disgust to injecting drug use. Hierarchical linear regression found that injecting phobia predicted implicit disgust to injecting drug use. Questionnaire measures of disgust did not predict implicit disgust. While animal reminder disgust and injecting phobia were significantly correlated with each other, animal reminder disgust did not predict implicit disgust scores. Conclusions: On the basis of our findings, stigma toward PWID may not be a result of feelings of disgust toward injecting drug use. We discuss findings in the context of the underlying cortical processes supporting implicit and explicit representations of disgust. Future research should seek to investigate neurophysiological evidence for disgust to and stigmatization of injecting drug use and the potential role of domains of disgust in this.

'It's not going to be a one size fits all': a qualitative exploration of the potential utility of three drug checking service models in Scotland.

BACKGROUND: Scotland currently has the highest rates of drug-related deaths in Europe, so drug checking services are being explored due to their potential role in reducing these deaths and related harms. Drug checking services allow individuals to submit presumed psychoactive drug samples for analysis, and then receive individualised feedback and counselling. This paper explores participants' views on the advantages and challenges of three hypothetical service models, to inform future service delivery in Scotland. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 people: 27 professional stakeholders, 11 people with experience of drug use, and five family members across three cities. Vignettes were used to provide short descriptions of three hypothetical service models during the interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants identified advantages and challenges for each of the three potential service models. The third sector (not-for-profit) model was favoured overall by participants, and the NHS substance use treatment service was the least popular. Participants also noted that multiple drug checking sites within one city, along with outreach models would be advantageous, to meet the diverse needs of different groups of people who use drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Drug checking services need to be tailored to local context and needs, with a range of service models being possible, in order to meet the needs of a heterogeneous group of people who use drugs. Addressing issues around stigma, accessibility, and concerns about the potential impact of accessing drug checking on access to and outcomes of drug treatment, are essential for successful service delivery.

Achieving integrated treatment: a realist synthesis of service models and systems for co-existing serious mental health and substance use conditions.

Approximately 30-50% of people with serious mental illness have co-existing drug or alcohol problems (COSMHAD), associated with adverse health and social care outcomes. UK guidelines advocate both co-occurring needs being met within mental health services, but uncertainty remains about how to operationalise this to improve outcomes. Various unevaluated service configurations exist in the UK. A realist synthesis was done to identify, test, and refine programme theories of how context shapes the mechanisms through which UK service models for COSMHAD work, for whom, and in what circumstances. Structured and iterative realist searches of seven databases identified 5099 records. A two-stage screening process identified 132 papers. Three broad contextual factors shaped COSMHAD services across 11 programme theories: committed leadership, clear expectations regarding COSMHAD from mental health and substance use workforces, and clear care-coordination processes. These contextual factors led to increased staff empathy, confidence, legitimisation, and multidisciplinary ethos, which improved care coordination and increased the motivation of people with COSMHAD to work towards their goals. Our synthesis highlights that integrating COSMHAD care is complex, and both individual and cultural behavioural shifts in leadership, workforce, and service delivery are essential to ensure people with COSMHAD receive compassionate, trauma-informed care that meets their needs.

Younger, drunk, and fast: Paradoxical rapid reaction time in hazardous drinkers.

BACKGROUND: Research consistently links hazardous alcohol use with reduced cognitive function but is less consistent with regard to processing speed, which underpins many cognitive functions. Using vibrotactile perception to assess cognitive function may have benefits over other sensory stimuli, as this method gives lower variability in reaction time (RT) and shorter latency. AIMS: This study aimed to assess performance on vibrotactile simple and choice RT tasks between hazardous and non-hazardous drinkers. METHODS: Participants (n = 86) completed vibrotactile tasks and alcohol, mood and subjective function (Executive Function Index (EFI)) questionnaires. Multivariate analyses of covariance were performed on average RT scores, and on EFI scores, to investigate function, and a bivariate correlation assessed the relationships between subjective and objective measures. RESULTS: Hazardous drinkers exhibited significantly faster choice RT. With regard to subjective executive function, Strategic Planning and Impulse Control were significantly better in non-hazardous drinkers. Finally, Organisation and Impulse Control both significantly positively correlated with choice and simple RT, indicating that as subjective function improved, RT increased (a decline in performance). CONCLUSIONS: These results are considered in the context of the premature ageing hypothesis, impulsivity and the impact of alcohol use on various neurotransmitter systems. Furthermore, the poorer subjective function in young hazardous drinkers indicates a possible metacognitive deficit, increased effort or issues with vibrotactile perception as a cognitive function assessment in this group.

Normalization of Prevention Principles and Practices to Reduce Substance Use Disorders Through an Integrated Dissemination and Implementation Framework.

Major research breakthroughs over the past 30 years in the field of substance use prevention have served to: (1) enhance understanding of pharmacological effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems and the health and social consequences of use of psychoactive substances, particularly for children and adolescents; (2) delineate the processes that increase vulnerability to or protect from initiation of substance use and progression to substance use disorders (SUDs) and, based on this understanding, (3) develop effective strategies and practices to prevent the initiation and escalation of substance use. The challenge we now face as a field is to "normalize" what we have learned from this research so that it is incorporated into the work of those involved in supporting, planning, and delivering prevention programming to populations around the world, is integrated into health and social service systems, and helps to shape public policies. But we wish to go further, to incorporate these effective prevention practices into everyday life and the mind-sets of the public, particularly parents and educators. This paper reviews the advances that have been made in the field of prevention and presents a framework and recommendations to achieve these objectives generated during several meetings of prevention and implementation science researchers sponsored by the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR) that guides a roadmap to achieve "normalization."

Opioid prescribing and social deprivation: A retrospective analysis of prescribing for CNCP in Liverpool CCG.

BACKGROUND: Treating Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (CNCP) with long-term, high dose and more potent opioids puts patients at increased risk of harm, whilst providing limited pain relief. Socially deprived areas mapped from Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores show higher rates of high dose, strong opioid prescribing compared to more affluent areas. OBJECTIVE: To explore if opioid prescribing is higher in more deprived areas of Liverpool (UK) and assess the incidence of high dose prescribing to improve clinical pathways for opioid weaning. DESIGN AND SETTING: This retrospective observational study used primary care practice and patient level opioid prescribing data for N = 30,474 CNCP patients across Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (LCCG) between August 2016 and August 2018. METHOD: A Defined Daily Dose (DDD) was calculated for each patient prescribed opioids. DDD was converted into a Morphine Equivalent Dose (MED) and patients stratified according to high (≥120mg) MED cut off. The association between prescribing and deprivation was analysed by linking GP practice codes and IMD scores across LCCG. RESULTS: 3.5% of patients were prescribed an average dose above 120mg MED/day. Patients prescribed long-term, high dose, strong opioids were more likely to be female, aged 60+, prescribed three opioids and reside in the North of Liverpool where there is a higher density of areas in the IMD most deprived deciles. CONCLUSION: A small but significant proportion of CNCP patients across Liverpool are currently prescribed opioids above the recommended dose threshold of 120mg MED. Identification of fentanyl as a contributor to high dose prescribing resulted in changes to prescribing practice, and reports from NHS pain clinics that fewer patients require tapering from fentanyl. In conclusion, higher rates of high dose opioid prescribing continue to be evident in more socially deprived areas further increasing health inequalities.

'Some days I am a lunatic that thinks I can moderate': Amalgamating recovery and neo-liberal discourses within accounts of non-drinking among women active in the 'positive sobriety' community on Instagram in the UK.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, reductions in drinking in the UK and the rise of online 'positive' sobriety communities have been observed, yet peer led support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and neo-liberal discourses of control and responsibility dominate public understandings of (problematic) alcohol use. This paper presents research exploring how women active in the 'positive sobriety' community on Instagram position and construct their non-drinking identities and relationships with alcohol within these overlapping discourses. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews (n=15) and online content produced by women active in the positive sobriety community on Instagram were analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Women challenged, reproduced and amalgamated AA discourses of addiction, and the broader discourses of neo-liberalism, in ways that positioned (alcohol) consumption, agency, control and individual responsibility as defining features of feminine identity making. Drawing on these discourses, binary understandings of problematic drinking, the identity of the 'alcoholic', and the need to reach 'rock bottom' in the recovery process were rejected and challenged, but at times reproduced. Whilst a broader framing of problematic drinking that situated drinking problems on a spectrum was constructed, abstinence was engaged with and promoted as the most effective way of gaining control and responsibility over drinking in gendered ways, and in establishing an authentic sense of self. CONCLUSION: This paper contributes to emerging research on online 'positive' sobriety communities, their gendered nature, and the intertwined presence of traditional recovery and neo-liberal discourses in women's accounts. Online sober communities offered alternative spaces of support and allowed for sobriety and sober femininities to be framed more positively than within traditional AA conceptualisations. However, those involved may experience tensions around (a) the need to 'tell' their personal stories of complete abstinence whilst still appealing to those who seek to 'moderate' and (b) the pressure to create and craft an 'authentic' sober self on an online platform that demands a carefully curated self-image and personal 'brand'. Further research should aim to gain more understanding of the role social media plays in "doing" sobriety and non-drinking, how this is done by people of different genders, the intersectional experiences of those participating, and how these communities can be made more equally available and accessible to those who do not consider full abstinence as necessary, whilst still appealing to those that do.

Effects of media representations of drug related deaths on public stigma and support for harm reduction.

BACKGROUND: Drug related deaths (DRD) are at historically high levels in the United Kingdom (UK), but some approaches that have the potential to reduce risk of mortality remain controversial. Public support makes an important contribution to drug policy development but there are high levels of public stigma towards people who use drugs (PWUD), and this is partly shaped by media representations. We investigated whether depiction of the characteristics of decedents represented in news articles about DRD was associated with differences in stigmatising attitudes and support for harm reduction policy. METHODS: We undertook a cross-sectional online study with a randomised design, conducted with a nationally representative sample (UK). Participants (N = 1280) were randomly presented with one of eight simulated news stories that reported on a DRD that differed with respect to drug (ecstasy or heroin), and the gender (male or female) and age (younger or older) of the decedent. Data were analysed using MANOVA. RESULTS: Data were obtained for 1248 participants (51.0% female; mean age 45.7±15.4). Stigma was higher towards depictions of male, older, and heroin deaths (all p < .001). Harm reduction support was higher in those participants seeing older compared to younger subjects (p = .035), and the older ecstasy decedent compared to younger decedent (p = .029). CONCLUSION: Presentation of some types of DRD are associated with higher public stigma towards the decedent than others. Those groups developing agenda-setting activities designed to reduce stigma or foster public support for harm reduction policies should consider the different ways in which audiences may respond to the depiction and framing of DRD in news media.

Analysis of the UK Government's 10-Year Drugs Strategy-a resource for practitioners and policymakers.

In 2021, during a drug-related death crisis in the UK, the Government published its ten-year drugs strategy. This article, written in collaboration with the Faculty of Public Health and the Association of Directors of Public Health, assesses whether this Strategy is evidence-based and consistent with international calls to promote public health approaches to drugs, which put 'people, health and human rights at the centre'. Elements of the Strategy are welcome, including the promise of significant funding for drug treatment services, the effects of which will depend on how it is utilized by services and local commissioners and whether it is sustained. However, unevidenced and harmful measures to deter drug use by means of punishment continue to be promoted, which will have deleterious impacts on people who use drugs. An effective public health approach to drugs should tackle population-level risk factors, which may predispose to harmful patterns of drug use, including adverse childhood experiences and socioeconomic deprivation, and institute evidence-based measures to mitigate drug-related harm. This would likely be more effective, and just, than the continuation of policies rooted in enforcement. A more dramatic re-orientation of UK drug policy than that offered by the Strategy is overdue.

Synthetic opioids: a review and clinical update.

The term 'opioids' refers to both the natural compounds ('opiates') which are extracted from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum) and their semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives. They all possess relatively similar biochemical profiles and interact with the opioid receptors within the human body to produce a wide range of physiological effects. They have historically been used for medicinal purposes, their analgesic and sedative effects, and in the management of chronic and severe pain. They have also been used for non-medicinal and recreational purposes to produce feelings of relaxation, euphoria and well-being. Over the last decade, the emergence of an illegal market in new synthetic opioids has become a major global public health issue, associated with a substantial increase in unintentional overdoses and drug-related deaths. Synthetic opioids include fentanyl, its analogues and emerging non-fentanyl opioids. Their popularity relates to changes in criminal markets, pricing, potency, availability compared to classic opioids, ease of transport and use, rapid effect and lack of detection by conventional testing technologies. This article expands on our previous review on new psychoactive substances. We now provide a more in-depth review on synthetic opioids and explore the current challenges faced by people who use drugs, healthcare professionals, and global public health systems.

A Realist Review of How Community-Based Drug Checking Services Could Be Designed and Implemented to Promote Engagement of People Who Use Drugs.

With rising numbers of drug-related deaths in the UK and globally, exploration of interventions that seek to reduce drug-related harm is essential. Drug checking services (DCS) allow people to submit drug samples for chemical analysis and receive feedback about the sample, as well as harm reduction advice. The use of DCS is often linked to festival and/or nightlife settings and to so-called 'recreational' drug use, but research has also shown the potential of community-based DCS as an intervention serving more varied demographics of people who use drugs, including more marginalised individuals and those experiencing drug dependence. Whilst there is a growing evidence base on the effectiveness of drug checking as a harm reduction intervention, there is still limited evidence of the underlying mechanisms and processes within DCS which may aid implementation and subsequent engagement of people who use drugs. This presents a challenge to understanding why engagement differs across types of DCS, and how best to develop and deliver services across different contexts and for different populations. To explore the contexts and mechanisms which impact engagement in community-based DCS, a realist review was undertaken to synthesise the international evidence for the delivery and implementation of DCS. There were 133 sources included in the review. From these sources the underlying contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes relating to DCS implementation and engagement were developed and refined into seven programme theories. The findings of this review are theoretically novel and hold practical relevance for the design of DCS, with implications for optimisation, tailoring, and implementing services to reach individuals in different settings.

Recovery of neuropsychological function following abstinence from alcohol in adults diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder: Protocol for a systematic review of longitudinal studies.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorders (AUD) associate with structural and functional brain differences, including impairments in neuropsychological functions; however, review level research (largely cross-sectional) is inconsistent with regards to recovery of such functions following abstinence. Such recovery is important, as these impairments associate with treatment outcomes and quality of life. OBJECTIVE(S): To assess neuropsychological function recovery following abstinence in individuals with a clinical AUD diagnosis. The secondary objective is to assess predictors of neuropsychological recovery in AUD. METHODS: Four electronic databases (APA PsycInfo, EBSCO MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection) will be searched between 1999-2022, with search strategies adapted for each source. Study reporting will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis, study quality will be assessed using the JBI Checklist for Cohort Studies. Eligible studies are those with a longitudinal design that assessed neuropsychological recovery following abstinence from alcohol in adults with a clinical diagnosis of AUD. Studies will be excluded if participant group is defined by another or co-morbid condition/injury, or by relapse. RESULTS: This is an ongoing review. As of July 2022, the review protocol is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022308686), searches have been conducted, and screening is in progress. Results are predicted to be complete by October 2022. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing data on neuropsychological recovery from AUD will improve understanding of the impact of alcohol on the brain, and the relationship between AUD recovery and quality of life/treatment outcomes. It may provide information that could one day inform aspects of treatment and aftercare (e.g., options for cognitive training of functions that do not improve on their own).