Neurocognitive functioning of adolescents: Effects of protracted alcohol use

Background: The present study examined associations between alcohol involve ment in early to middle adolescence and neuropsychological (NP) functioning . Methods: Alcohol-dependent adolescents (n = 33) with over 100 lifetime alco hol episodes and without dependence on other substances were recruited from alcohol/drug abuse treatment facilities. Comparison (n = 24) adolescents h ad no histories of alcohol or drug problems and were matched to alcohol-dep endent participants on age (15 to 16 years), gender, socioeconomic status, education, and family history of alcohol dependence. NP rests and psychosoc ial measures were administered to alcohol-dependent participants following 3 weeks of detoxification. Results: Alcohol-dependent and comparison adolescents demonstrated signific ant differences on several NP scores. Protracted alcohol use was associated with poorer performance on verbal and nonverbal retention in the context o f intact learning and recognition discriminability. Recent alcohol withdraw al among adolescents was associated with poor visuospatial functioning, whe reas lifetime alcohol withdrawal was associated with poorer retrieval of ve rbal and nonverbal information. Conclusions: Deficits in retrieval of verbal and nonverbal information and in visuospatial functioning were evident in youths with histories of heavy drinking during early and middle adolescence.