Smoking cessation intervention in the community pharmacy: Cost-effectiveness of a non-randomized cluster-controlled trial at 12-months' follow-up.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of an intervention based on a training course for community pharmacists and a smoking cessation service (CESAR©), using limited societal and the health provider perspectives. METHODS: Non-randomized controlled trial of 12-months' follow-up. Spanish community pharmacists who were previously trained with CESAR© formed the intervention group (n = 102), and control group delivered usual care (n = 80). CESAR Patients were smokers identified by the community pharmacists when they attended the pharmacy. Data were self-reported. Outcomes were smoking cessation and quality-of-life (EQ-5D-3L) and were collected at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Costs data included direct health costs, work loss, and intervention costs. Smoking cessation was analyzed through logistic regression models. Generalized linear models were carried out for quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and costs. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and cost-utility ratio (ICUR) were calculated. RESULTS: In total, 800 smoking patients were included in the intervention group and 278 in the control group. Of these, 487 and 151 patients completed the study, respectively. Costs were lower in the intervention group compared to the control group in both perspectives. At 12 months, 54.3% and 37.1% patients from the intervention and the control groups reported smoking cessation, respectively. The difference in probability of cessation in the intervention compared to the control group was 17.6% (CI:0.05; 0.25). The mean QALY was higher in the intervention group [0.03(CI: 0.01; 0.07)]. The ICER and the ICUR were dominant for the intervention group. CONCLUSION: This intervention for smoking cessation showed that the CESAR© intervention, that combined a training for community pharmacists with a smoking cessation service was efficient for smoking cessation and QALY at 12 months' follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05461066, retrospectively registered (July 15, 2022).

Verbal memory and executive components of recall in adolescent binge drinkers.

Introduction: Binge drinking (BD) is a common health-risk behavior among young people. Due to the incomplete maturation of the adolescent brain, BD can lead to structural and functional changes that impact neurocognitive processes, particularly executive functioning and verbal memory. This study aimed to investigate the influence of executive components, such as mnemonic strategies and error avoidance, on performance in a verbal memory test and the potential effects of BD on this performance. Methods: A sample of 160 college students (51.55% female) with a mean age of 18.12 ± 0.32 years completed assessments for alcohol use disorders using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), as well as psychopathological (Symptom Checklist-90-R) and neuropsychological evaluations (Verbal Learning Test Spain-Complutense and WMS-III Logical Memory). The Intensive Drinking Evaluation Instrument (IECI) was utilized to gather detailed information about binge drinking habits, including the calculation of the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) during an episode of intake. Results: Correlation and clustering analyses revealed a negative association between BAC values and verbal memory performance, as well as the use of memory strategies. The high BAC group (BD) exhibited negative values in verbal memory variables, higher accuracy errors, and less efficient strategy usage, while the low BAC group (No BD) demonstrated better memory test performance, fewer precision errors, and superior use of memory strategies. Discussion: These findings support the hypothesis that, when solving tests requiring verbal memory, adolescents reporting a BD consumption pattern show fewer executive skills in their resolution and, therefore, achieved poorer performance than non-binge drinkers. Addressing excessive alcohol consumption in young individuals is crucial for safeguarding their cognitive development and overall well-being.

Longitudinal change of inhibitory control functional connectivity associated with the development of heavy alcohol drinking.

Introduction: Heavy drinking (HD) prevalent pattern of alcohol consumption among adolescents, particularly concerning because of their critical vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of ethanol. Adolescent neurodevelopment is characterized by critical neurobiological changes of the prefrontal, temporal and parietal regions, important for the development of executive control processes, such as inhibitory control (IC). In the present Magnetoencephalography (MEG) study, we aimed to describe the relationship between electrophysiological Functional Connectivity (FC) during an IC task and HD development, as well as its impact on functional neuromaturation. Methods: We performed a two-year longitudinal protocol with two stages. In the first stage, before the onset of HD, we recorded brain electrophysiological activity from a sample of 67 adolescents (mean age = 14.6 ± 0.7) during an IC task. Alcohol consumption was measured using the AUDIT test and a semi-structured interview. Two years later, in the second stage, 32 of the 67 participants (mean age 16.7 ± 0.7) completed a similar protocol. As for the analysis in the first stage, the source-space FC matrix was calculated, and then, using a cluster-based permutation test (CBPT) based on Spearman's correlation, we calculated the correlation between the FC of each cortical source and the number of standard alcohol units consumed two years later. For the analysis of longitudinal change, we followed a similar approach. We calculated the symmetrized percentage change (SPC) between FC at both stages and performed a CBPT analysis, analyzing the correlation between FC change and the level of alcohol consumed in a regular session. Results: The results revealed an association between higher beta-band FC in the prefrontal and temporal regions and higher consumption years later. Longitudinal results showed that greater future alcohol consumption was associated with an exacerbated reduction in the FC of the same areas. Discussion: These results underline the existence of several brain functional differences prior to alcohol misuse and their impact on functional neuromaturation.

Reward sensitivity and hazardous alcohol consumption in women: The parallel mediation effect of self-control and impulsivity traits.

Introduction: Little research has been carried out on the associations between several individual factors and hazardous alcohol use in women. The aim of this study was first, to study the relationship between reward sensitivity (RS) and alcohol use in both women with and without hazardous drinking separately. Second, to explore the potential mediating roles of the impulsivity and self-control traits in this relationship. Method: The study was analytical and cross-sectional and included 645 female participants (mean age = 19.14; standard deviation (SD)=1.60). All women were divided into two groups (286, 44.3%, with hazardous drinking, HDW; and 359, 55.7%, with light drinking, LDW). Correlation analyses were carried out to explore the associations between the variables, and parallel mediation analyses were performed to investigate the potential mediating roles of impulsivity and self-control in the RS-alcohol use associations in each group separately. Results: A significant association was observed between RS and alcohol use in HDW, contrary to that observed in their counterparts. In addition, both higher impulsivity and less self-control mediated the association between RS and alcohol use only in HDW. Conclusions: Impulsivity and self-control differently affect alcohol use under the condition of high reward sensitivity, only in HDW, suggesting alterations of the dual top-down and bottom-up mechanisms and a possible imbalance between the competing reflexive and impulsive brain systems. More research is needed regarding the individual factors that affect women's drinking to develop sensitive measures for the assessment of alcohol use and more efficient interventions for women.

Electrophysiological resting-state hyperconnectivity and poorer behavioural regulation as predisposing profiles of adolescent binge drinking.

Adolescent Binge Drinking (BD) has become an increasing health and social concern, with detrimental consequences for brain development and functional integrity. However, research on neurophysiological and neuropsychological traits predisposing to BD are limited at this time. In this work, we conducted a 2-year longitudinal magnetoencephalography (MEG) study over a cohort of initially alcohol-naïve adolescents with the purpose of exploring anomalies in resting-state electrophysiological networks, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and dysexecutive behaviour able to predict future BD patterns. In a sample of 67 alcohol-naïve adolescents (age = 14.5 ± 0.9), we measured resting-state activity using MEG. Additionally, we evaluated their neuropsychological traits using self-report ecological scales (BIS-11, SSS-V, BDEFS, BRIEF-SR and DEX). In a second evaluation, 2 years later, we measured participant's alcohol consumption, sub-dividing the original sample in two groups: future binge drinkers (22 individuals, age 14.6 ± 0.8; eight females) and future light/no drinkers (17 individuals, age 14.5 ± 0.8; eight females). Then, we searched for differences predating alcohol BD intake. We found abnormalities in MEG resting state, in a form of gamma band hyperconnectivity, in those adolescents who transitioned into BD years later. Furthermore, they showed higher impulsivity, dysexecutive behaviours and sensation seeking, positively correlated with functional connectivity (FC). Sensation seeking and impulsivity mainly predicted BD severity in the future, while the relationship between dysexecutive trait and FC with future BD was mediated by sensation seeking. These findings shed light to electrophysiological and neuropsychological traits of vulnerability towards alcohol consumption. We hypothesise that these differences may rely on divergent neurobiological development of inhibitory neurotransmission pathways and executive prefrontal circuits.

Impacto del servicio profesional farmacéutico asistencial de cesación tabáquica en la farmacia comunitaria. Protocolo del estudio y características de los investigadores y los pacientes / Impact of the professional pharmaceutical care service for smoking cessation in community pharmacies. Study protocol and characteristics of researchers and patients

Introducción:  el tabaquismo es un grave problema de salud pública, el 23 % de los españoles mayores de 15 años fuma a diario y el 2,4 % es fumador ocasional. El farmacéutico comunitario (FC) es un profesional sanitario accesible y cercano a la población que puede desempeñar una importante labor en cesación tabáquica. Es fundamental realizar estudios de investigación que demuestren el impacto de la intervención del FC en tabaquismo y ayuden a definir un protocolo de actuación que pueda implantarse de manera generalizada en cualquier farmacia comunitaria de nuestro país.Material y métodos:  el protocolo se utilizó en un estudio prospectivo controlado no aleatorizado de 12 meses de seguimiento en paciente fumador mayor de 18 años que acudía a la farmacia comunitaria con una prescripción médica para dejar de fumar, haciendo una consulta para dejar de fumar o paciente que se detecta como fumador. El estudio se diseñó para desarrollarse en 100 farmacias con farmacéuticos capacitados a través del programa CESAR (grupo intervención) que realizaban una intervención estructurada y 100 farmacias con farmacéuticos no capacitados (grupo control) que realizaban una intervención habitual. Cada una de las farmacias debía reclutar un total de 5 pacientes, lo que supondría un total de 1.000 casos.Resultados:  en el estudio participaron 182 FC (grupo intervención: 102, grupo control: 80), la mayoría de los cuales desarrollaban su actividad profesional en farmacias de barrio. Se incorporaron 1.078 pacientes (grupo intervención: 800, grupo control: 278), con una distribución homogénea por sexos y una edad media de 49 años.

Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds May Help Reduce Pollinator-Prey Overlap in the Carnivorous Plant Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae).

Most carnivorous plants show a conspicuous separation between flowers and leaf-traps, which has been interpreted as an adaptive response to minimize pollinator-prey conflicts which will reduce fitness. Here, we used the carnivorous subshrub Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae) to explore if and how carnivorous plants with minimal physical separation of flower and trap avoid or reduce a likely conflict of pollinator and prey. We carried out an extensive field survey in the Aljibe Mountains, at the European side of the Strait of Gibraltar, of pollinating and prey insects of D. lusitanicum. We also performed a detailed analysis of flower and leaf volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs, respectively) by direct thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) to ascertain whether this species shows different VOC/SVOC profiles in flowers and leaf-traps that might attract pollinators and prey, respectively. Our results show a low overlap between pollinator and prey groups as well as clear differences in the relative abundance of VOCs and SVOCs between flowers and leaf-traps. Coleopterans and hymenopterans were the most represented groups of floral visitors, whereas dipterans were the most diverse group of prey insects. Regarding VOCs and SVOCs, while aldehydes and carboxylic acids presented higher relative contents in leaf-traps, alkanes and plumbagin were the main VOC/SVOC compounds detected in flowers. We conclude that D. lusitanicum, despite its minimal flower-trap separation, does not seem to present a marked pollinator-prey conflict. Differences in the VOCs and SVOCs produced by flowers and leaf-traps may help explain the conspicuous differences between pollinator and prey guilds.

Abnormal organization of inhibitory control functional networks in future binge drinkers.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Adolescent Binge drinking has become an increasing health and social concern, which cause several detrimental consequences for brain integrity. However, research on neurophysiological traits of vulnerability for binge drinking predisposition is limited at this time. In this work, we conducted a two-year longitudinal study with magnetoencephalography (MEG) over a cohort of initially alcohol-naive adolescents with the purpose of characterize inhibitory cortical networks' anomalies prior to alcohol consumption onset in those youths who will transit into binge drinkers years later. METHODS: Sixty-seven participant's inhibitory functional networks, and dysexecutive/impulsivity traits were measured by means of inhibitory task (go/no-go) and questionnaires battery. After a follow-up period of two years, we evaluated their alcohol consumption habits, sub-dividing them in two groups according to their alcohol intake patterns: future binge drinkers (fBD): n = 22; future Light/non-drinkers (fLD): n = 17. We evaluated whole-brain and seed-based functional connectivity profiles, as well as its correlation with impulsive and dysexecutive behaviours, searching for early abnormalities before consumption onset. RESULTS: For the first time, abnormalities in MEG functional networks and higher dysexecutive and impulsivity profiles were detected in alcohol-naïve adolescents who two years later became binge drinkers. Concretely, fBD exhibit a distinctive pattern of beta band hyperconnectivity among crucial regions of inhibitory control networks, positively correlated with behavioral traits and future alcohol intake rate. CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly support the idea of early neurobiological vulnerabilities for substances consumption initiation, with inhibitory functional networks' abnormalities as a relevant neurophysiological marker of subjects at risk- we hypothesize this profile is due to neurodevelopmental and neurobiological differences involving cognitive control networks and neurotransmission pathways.

Young alcohol binge drinkers have elevated blood endotoxin, peripheral inflammation and low cortisol levels: neuropsychological correlations in women.

Alcohol binge drinking is a pattern of heavy alcohol consumption that is increasingly practiced by adolescents and young adults. Evidence indicates that alcohol binges induce peripheral inflammation and an exacerbated neuroimmune response that may participate in alcohol-induced cognitive/behavioral dysfunctions. Here, we recruited 20-year-old male and female university students who were identified as binge drinkers for at least 2 years. Compared with controls, young alcohol binge drinkers had elevated levels of blood endotoxin and upregulated markers of the toll-like receptor 4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, together with pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine release, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. These changes positively correlate with the estimated blood alcohol levels achieved during alcohol binge intoxication and negatively correlate with the time elapsed from the last alcohol consumption. The immune/inflammatory changes were more prominent in female drinkers, who showed elevated levels of alcohol danger-associated molecules, such as high mobility group box 1, indicating that there are sex-related differences in the peripheral inflammatory response to alcohol. In contrast, cortisol levels were decreased in alcohol binge drinkers. Finally, higher levels of inflammatory markers, mainly monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, as well as LPS, high mobility group box 1, toll-like receptor 4, IL-6 and ciclooxygenase-2, correlated with worse scores on episodic memory and executive functioning tasks in female binge drinkers but not in male binge drinkers. These results emphasize possible risky consequences of alcohol use in binge episodes during young adulthood and call attention to sex-related differences in the alcohol-induced immune/inflammatory and neurocognitive responses.

Alcohol Binge Drinking and Executive Functioning during Adolescent Brain Development.

Alcohol consumption in adolescents causes negative effects on familiar, social, academic life, as well as neurocognitive alterations. The binge drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol is characterized by the alternation of episodes of heavy drinking in a short interval of time, and periods of abstinence, a practice that can result in important brain alterations; even more than regular alcohol consumption. The prefrontal cortex, which acts as neural support for the executive processes, is particularly affected by alcohol; however, not all studies are in agreement about how BD alcohol consumption affects executive functioning. Some research has found that alcohol consumption in adolescence does not significantly affect executive functioning while others found it does. It is possible that these discrepancies could be due to the history of alcohol consumption, that is, at what age the subjects started drinking. The aim of our study is to assess the performance on executive functioning tasks of 13-19-year-old adolescents according to their pattern of alcohol consumption. We hypothesize that BD adolescents will perform worse than non-BD subjects in tasks that evaluate executive functions, and these differences will increase depending on how long they have been consuming alcohol. Three hundred and twenty-two students (48.14% females; age range 13-22 years; mean aged 16.7 ± 2.59) participated in the study; all of them had begun drinking at the age of 13 years. Participant were divided into three groups, according to their age range (13-15, 16-18, and 19-22 years) and divided according to their pattern of alcohol consumption (BD and control groups). Then, the subjects were evaluated with neuropsychological tasks that assess executive functions like working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, or self-control among others. The entire sample showed a normal improvement in their executive performance, but this improvement was more stable and robust in the control group. Regarding the executive performance among age groups, control subjects only obtained better results than BDs in the 19-22-year-old range, whereas the performance was quite similar at younger ages. Considering that all the BD subjects started drinking at the same age (13 years old), it is possible that a kind of compensation mechanism exists in the adolescent brain which allows them to reach a normal performance in executive tasks. This theoretical mechanism would depend upon neuronal labor, which could lose efficacy over time with further alcohol ingestion. This process would account for the differences in neuropsychological performance, which were only observed in older students with a longer history of alcohol consumption.

Día Mundial del Farmacéutico: una fecha para reivindicar una profesión global / No disponible

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Almeria spatial memory recognition test (ASMRT): Gender differences emerged in a new passive spatial task.

Many different human spatial memory tasks were developed in the last two decades. Virtual reality based tasks make possible developing different scenarios and situations to assess spatial orientation but sometimes these tasks are complex for specific populations like children and older-adults. A new spatial task with a very limited technological requirement was developed in this study. It demanded the use of spatial memory for an accurate solution. It also proved to be sensitive to gender differences, with men outperforming women under high specific difficulty levels. Thanks to its simplicity it could be applied as a screening test and is easy to combine with EEG and fMRI studies.

Early alcohol use and psychopathological symptoms in university students / Consumo temprano de alcohol y síntomas psicopatológicos en estudiantes universitarios

BACKGROUND: Adolescent brain may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol. Plus, psychopathological disorders tend to emerge in this period. Consequently, early alcohol use may increase the risk of psychopathological disorders, with time and sex-dependent effects. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between alcohol consumption and adolescent psychopathology in the general population. The objective was to determine the association between age of onset of alcohol use and psychopathological symptoms in university students, separately for both sexes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study involving fi rst-year university students (n = 3,696) was conducted. Symptoms were measured by the Symptom Checklist-R (SCL-90-R). The independent variable was age of fi rst alcohol use. Dependent variables were the SCL-90-R dimensions, dichotomized. Alcohol consumption was considered a mediator variable. Data were analyzed separately for males and females. RESULTS: The fi ndings showed that a younger age of onset is a risk factor for the following global indexes: Global Severity Index, Positive Symptom Total for females, and Positive Symptom Distress Index, for males. Alcohol consumption showed a higher mediator effect for females than for males. CONCLUSION: Early age of alcohol use is associated with increased psychopathological symptomatology in both sexes during the college freshman year. The pattern of symptomatology is different in each sex

ANTECEDENTES: durante la adolescencia el cerebro es especialmente vulnerable a los efectos del alcohol. El consumo temprano de alcohol puede aumentar el riesgo de sintomatología psicopatológica. Pocos estudios han analizado la relación entre consumo de alcohol y sintomatología psicopatológica en adolescentes en la población general. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la asociación entre edad de inicio del consumo de alcohol y síntomas psicopatológicos en estudiantes universitarios, separadamente para ambos sexos. MÉTODO: estudio transversal en estudiantes universitarios (n = 3.696). Los síntomas se midieron con el SCL-90-R. La variable independiente fue la edad de inicio del consumo de alcohol. Las variables dependientes fueron las dimensiones del SCL-90-R dicotomizadas. El consumo de alcohol fue una variable mediadora. RESULTADOS: una temprana edad de inicio es un factor de riesgo para los siguientes índices globales: Índice de Severidad Global, Total de Síntomas Positivos, solo en mujeres, e Índice de Malestar, solo para hombres. El consumo de alcohol muestra un mayor efecto mediador en las mujeres. CONCLUSIÓN: una temprana edad de inicio en el consumo de alcohol se asocia con un aumento de sintomatología psicopatológica en ambos sexos durante el primer año de Universidad. El patrón de sintomatología difi ere en hombres y mujeres

Early alcohol use and psychopathological symptoms in university students.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent brain may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol.  Plus, psychopathological disorders tend to emerge in this period. Consequently, early alcohol use may increase the risk of psychopathological disorders, with time and sex-dependent effects. However, few studies have analyzed the relationship between alcohol consumption and adolescent psychopathology in the general population. The objective was to determine the association between age of onset of alcohol use and psychopathological symptoms in university students, separately for both sexes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study involving first-year university students (n = 3,696) was conducted. Symptoms were measured by the Symptom Checklist-R (SCL-90-R). The independent variable was age of first alcohol use. Dependent variables were the SCL-90-R dimensions, dichotomized. Alcohol consumption was considered a mediator variable. Data were analyzed separately for males and females. RESULTS: The findings showed that a younger age of onset is a risk factor for the following global indexes: Global Severity Index, Positive Symptom Total for females, and Positive Symptom Distress Index, for males. Alcohol consumption showed a higher mediator effect for females than for males. CONCLUSION: Early age of alcohol use is associated with increased psychopathological symptomatology in both sexes during the college freshman year. The pattern of symptomatology is different in each sex.

Executive performance and dysexecutive symptoms in binge drinking adolescents.

Alcohol is probably the most common legal drug of abuse in Western countries. The prevalence of binge drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol consumption among adolescents is a worrisome phenomenon. Adolescents and university students who practice a BD pattern have difficulty performing tasks involving prefrontal cortex functions, such as working memory, planning, attention, and decision making. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between BD and executive functioning in adolescents. Two hundred twenty-three high-school students between 12 and 18 years old (15.19 ± 2.13) participated in our study. They were assigned to one of three groups according to their pattern of alcohol consumption: BD (subjects who consumed alcohol intensively, n = 48), MAC (subjects who consumed alcohol moderately, n = 53), and CTR (non-drinking subjects, n = 122). The students were evaluated with two groups of testing tools: a set of performance neuropsychological tests and two questionnaires of executive functioning. The results showed that the students who drank alcohol exhibited a more pronounced dysexecutive symptomatology (disinhibition, executive dysfunction, intentionality, executive memory), but they obtained better results than controls on some of the neuropsychological tests such as Spatial Location, Five Digit Tests, or Stroop Test. According to the results, we can deduce that heavy alcohol drinking in adolescents brings a certain dysfunction of prefrontal circuits. This prefrontal dysfunction is not so clearly demonstrated in the neuropsychological tests used, but it was observed in the performance of daily activities. In the Discussion section we raise issues about sociodemographic features of the sample and ecological validity of the traditional neuropsychological tests. The neurotoxic effects of BD on prefrontal cortex can be less evident throughout adolescence, but if alcohol consumption persists, the executive dysfunction would be exacerbated.

Acute and chronic ethanol intake: effects on spatial and non-spatial memory in rats.

Abusive alcohol consumption produces neuronal damage and biochemical alterations in the mammal brain followed by cognitive disturbances. In this work rats receiving chronic and acute alcohol intake were evaluated in a spontaneous delayed non-matching to sample/position test. Chronic alcohol-treated rats had free access to an aqueous ethanol solution as the only available liquid source from the postnatal day 21 to the end of experiment (postnatal day 90). Acute alcoholic animals received an injection of 2 g/kg ethanol solution once per week. Subjects were evaluated in two tests (object recognition and spatial recognition) based on the spontaneous delayed non-matching to sample or to position paradigm using delays of 1 min, 15 min and 60 min. Results showed that chronic and acute alcohol intake impairs the rats' performance in both tests. Moreover, chronic alcohol-treated rats were more altered than acute treated animals in both tasks. Our results support the idea that chronic and acute alcohol administration during postnatal development caused widespread brain damage resulting in behavioral disturbances and learning disabilities.

Weekend alcoholism in youth and neurocognitive aging / Alcoholismo de fin de semana en jóvenes y envejecimiento neurocognitivo

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. Ninetyone 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 (AU)

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 (AU)

Weekend alcoholism in youth and neurocognitive aging.

Numerous studies have shown that alcohol intake causes neuropsychological disorders that affect various brain structures. The «premature ageing¼ 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.

[Prefrontal activity and weekend alcoholism in the young]. / Actividad prefrontal y alcoholismo de fin de semana en jovenes.

BACKGROUND: High alcohol consumption by young people at weekends is a public health problem of considerable social and family importance. Chronic alcohol intake causes structural changes in the central nervous system, though the effects are not uniform throughout the brain. The prefrontal cortex (PC) has been reported to be one of the regions most sensitive to prolonged alcohol ingestion. OBJECTIVES: The effects of chronic ethanol exposure have been extensively studied. Our aim is to identify the neuropsychological deficits in PC function induced by intermittent heavy alcohol drinking in young adults. METHODS: Neuropsychological assessment was carried out on participants to examine their performance in PC-dependent tasks. 62 subjects (mean age 18.82+/-1.099) were assigned to one of three categories: 1) Those reporting heavy binge drinking of alcohol at weekends (ALE); 2) Those reporting moderate binge drinking of alcohol at weekends (ALM); and 3) Those reporting no alcohol intake (CTR). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that intermittent alcohol binge drinking, either heavy or moderate, in young people results in poorer performance in neuropsychological tasks such as Digits, Corsi or Stroop, which depend on correct PC functioning. Our results support the claim that the binge pattern of exposure to ethanol leads to neurocognitive and neurobehavioural impairment equivalent, in many respects, to that found in chronic drinkers. Moreover, intermittent heavy alcohol drinking in adolescence and early adulthood increases the risks of lifetime alcohol dependence and other psychopathologies.

Actividad prefrontal y alcoholismo de fin de semana en jóvenes / Prefrontal activity and weekend alcoholism in young

Antecedentes. El consumo elevado de alcohol por parte de jóvenes durante el fin de semana se está convirtiendo en un problema social y familiar importante pero también en un problema de salud considerable. El consumo abusivo ocasiona daños en el cerebro pero con diferente distribución, ya que la corteza prefrontal (CP) es una de las regiones que resulta más afectada. Objetivos. Hay numerosos estudios sobre los efectos del consumo crónico de alcohol. Nuestro objetivo es determinarlos déficits neuropsicológicos en la actividad prefrontal ocasionados por el consumo abusivo de alcohol de manera intermitente en adolescentes. Método. Se realizó una evaluación neuropsicológica a los sujetos para valorar su rendimiento en diversas tareas que implican a la CP. Participaron 62 sujetos (edad media 18.82±1.099) distribuidos en tres grupos: 1) Jóvenes que consumían alcohol de manera abusiva durante los fines de semana (ALE); 2) Jóvenes que consumían más moderadamente durante los fines de semana (ALM); y 3) Jóvenes que no consumían alcohol (CTR). Resultados y Conclusiones. Los resultados indican que el consumo abusivo intermitente de alcohol por parte de jóvenes, tanto de manera elevada como moderada, provoca un peor rendimiento en tareas neuropsicológicas como Dígitos, Corsi o Stroop, las cuales dependen de un correcto funcionamiento de la CP. Nuestros resultados apoyan la idea de que este patrón de consumo provoca un deterioro neurocognitivo y neuroconductual similar en muchos aspectos al observado en bebedores crónicos. Además, el consumo abusivo de fin de semana por parte de adolescentes y jóvenes incrementa el riesgo de desarrollar dependencia alcohólica y otras patologías en etapas posteriores de la vida

Background. High alcohol consumption by young people at weekends is a public health problem of considerable social and family importance. Chronic alcohol intake causes structural changes in the central nervous system, though the effects are not uniform throughout the brain. The prefrontal cortex (PC) has been reported to be one of the regions most sensitive to prolonged alcohol ingestion. Objectives. The effects of chronic ethanol exposure have been extensively studied. Our aim is to identify the neuropsychological deficits in PC function induced by intermittent heavy alcohol drinking in young adults. Methods. Neuropsychological assessment was carried out on participants to examine their performance in PC-dependent tasks. 62 subjects (mean age 18.82±1.099) were assigned toone of three categories: 1) Those reporting heavy binge drinking of alcohol at weekends (ALE); 2) Those reporting moderate binge drinking of alcohol at weekends (ALM); and 3) Those reporting no alcohol intake (CTR). Results and Conclusions. The findings indicate that intermittent alcohol binge dr inking, either heavy or moderate, in young people results in poorer performance in neuropsychological tasks such as Digits, Corsi or Stroop, which depend on correct PC functioning. Our results support the claim that the binge pattern of exposure to ethanol leads to neurocognitive and neurobehavioural impairment equivalent, in many respects, to that found inchronic drinkers. Moreover, intermittent heavy alcohol drinking in adolescence and early adulthood increases the risks of lifetime alcohol dependence and other psychopathologies