Effect of episodic and working memory impairments on semantic and cognitive procedural learning at alcohol treatment entry.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Chronic alcoholism is known to impair the functioning of episodic and working memory, which may consequently reduce the ability to learn complex novel information. Nevertheless, semantic and cognitive procedural learning have not been properly explored at alcohol treatment entry, despite its potential clinical relevance. The goal of the present study was therefore to determine whether alcoholic patients, immediately after the weaning phase, are cognitively able to acquire complex new knowledge, given their episodic and working memory deficits.

METHODS:
Twenty alcoholic inpatients with episodic memory and working memory deficits at alcohol treatment entry and a control group of 20 healthy subjects underwent a protocol of semantic acquisition and cognitive procedural learning. The semantic learning task consisted of the acquisition of 10 novel concepts, while subjects were administered the Tower of Toronto task to measure cognitive procedural learning.

RESULTS:
Analyses showed that although alcoholic subjects were able to acquire the category and features of the semantic concepts, albeit slowly, they presented impaired label learning. In the control group, executive functions and episodic memory predicted semantic learning in the first and second halves of the protocol, respectively. In addition to the cognitive processes involved in the learning strategies invoked by controls, alcoholic subjects seem to attempt to compensate for their impaired cognitive functions, invoking capacities of short-term passive storage. Regarding cognitive procedural learning, although the patients eventually achieved the same results as the controls, they failed to automate the procedure. Contrary to the control group, the alcoholic groups' learning performance was predicted by controlled cognitive functions throughout the protocol.

CONCLUSION:
At alcohol treatment entry, alcoholic patients with neuropsychological deficits have difficulty acquiring novel semantic and cognitive procedural knowledge. Compared with controls, they seem to use more costly learning strategies, which are nonetheless less efficient. These learning disabilities need to be considered when treatment requiring the acquisition of complex novel information is envisaged.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Pitel, Anne Lise (AL); Witkowski, Thomas (T); Vabret, François (F); Guillery-Girard, Bérengère (B); Desgranges, Béatrice (B); Eustache, Francis (F); Beaunieux, Hélène (H);

Affiliation: Inserm-EPHE-Université de Caen/Basse-Normandie, Unité; E0218, CHU Côte de Nacre, Caen Cedex, France.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research (Alcohol Clin Exp Res), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 31 (issue 2) : pp 238-48

Dates: Created 2007/01/25; Completed 2007/03/08;

PMID: 17250615, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Alcoholism - complications; rehabilitation
Case-Control Studies
Cognition - physiology
Cognition Disorders - etiology; physiopathology
Humans
Learning Disorders - etiology; physiopathology

Memory - physiology
Memory Disorders - etiology; physiopathology
Middle Aged
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Semantics
Substance Abuse Treatment Centers

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.