VERBAL-LEARNING AND MEMORY IN ALCOHOL ABUSERS AND POLYSUBSTANCE ABUSERS WITH CONCURRENT ALCOHOL-ABUSE

To define the combined effects of drug and alcohol abuse on verbal lea rning and memory, 70 alcoholic and 80 polysubstance abuse (PSA) indivi duals with concurrent alcohol abuse were compared on a list learning t ask, the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Despite demonstrating similar learning strategies, response styles, and error patterns, the PSA group nonetheless exhibited significantly greater recall deficits than the alcoholic group on the CVLT. These deficits were particularl y evident in those who were heaviest abusers of cocaine. PSA participa nts did not, however, evidence greater recognition memory deficits. Th is pattern of greater deficits on recall than on recognition memory, a s well as poor consolidation, is consistent with the initiation-retrie val difficulties of patient groups with subcortical dysfunction. It is concluded that the combined use of alcohol and drugs, cocaine in part icular, may compound memory difficulties beyond what is typically obse rved in alcoholic individuals.