scholarly journals Alcohol use and cognitive functioning in young adults: improving causal inference

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Mahedy ◽  
Steph Suddell ◽  
Caroline Skirrow ◽  
Gwen S. Fernandes ◽  
Matt Field ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Memory Response ◽  
Genome Wide

AbstractBackground and AimsThere have been few longitudinal studies of association between alcohol use and cognitive functioning in young people. We aimed to examine whether alcohol use is a causal risk factor for deficient cognitive functioning in young adults.DesignLinear regression was used to examine the relationship between longitudinal latent class patterns of binge drinking and subsequent cognitive functioning. Two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) tested evidence for the causal relationship between alcohol use and cognitive functioning.SettingSouth West England.ParticipantsThe observational study included 3,155 adolescents and their parents (fully adjusted models) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Genetic instruments for alcohol use were based on almost 1,000,000 individuals from the GWAS & Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine use (GSCAN). Genome-wide association studies for cognitive outcomes were based on 2,500 individuals from ALSPAC.MeasurementsBinge drinking was assessed at approximately 16, 17, 18, 21, and 23 years. Cognitive functioning comprised working memory, response inhibition, and emotion recognition assessed at 24 years of age. Ninety-nine independent genome-wide significant SNPs associated with ‘number of drinks per week’ were used as the genetic instrument for alcohol consumption. Potential confounders were included in the observational analyses.FindingsFour binge drinking classes were identified: ‘low-risk’ (41%), ‘early-onset monthly’ (19%), ‘adult frequent’ (23%), and ‘early-onset frequent’ (17%). The association between early-onset frequent binge drinking and cognitive functioning: working memory (b=0.09, 95%CI=-0.10 to 0.28), response inhibition (b=0.70, 95%CI=-10.55 to 11.95), and emotion recognition (b=0.01, 95%CI=-0.01 to 0.02) in comparison to low-risk drinkers were inconclusive as to whether a difference was present. Two-sample MR analyses similarly provided little evidence that alcohol use is associated with deficits in working memory using the inverse variance weight (b=0.29, 95%CI=-0.42 to 0.99), response inhibition (b=-0.32, 95%CI=-1.04 to 0.39), and emotion recognition (b=0.03, 95%CI=-0.55 to 0.61).ConclusionsBinge drinking in adolescence and early adulthood may not be causally related to deficiencies in working memory, response inhibition, or emotion recognition in youths.

scholarly journals Psychosis-like experiences and cognition in young adults: an observational and Mendelian randomisation study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Skirrow ◽  
Steph Suddell ◽  
Liam Mahedy ◽  
Ian S Penton-Voak ◽  
Marcus Munafo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Facial Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Emotion ◽  
Mendelian Randomisation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Prospective Analyses

Background: Psychosis-like experiences (PLEs) are common and associated with mental health problems and poorer cognitive function. There is limited longitudinal research examining associations between cognition and PLEs in early adulthood. Aims: We investigated the association of PLEs with different domains of cognitive function, using cross-sectional and longitudinal observational, and Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses. Method: Participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) completed tasks of working memory at age 18 and 24, and tasks of response inhibition and facial emotion recognition at age 24. Semi-structured interviews at age 18 and 24 established presence of PLEs (none vs. suspected/definite). Cross-sectional and prospective regression analysis tested associations between PLEs and cognition (N=3,087 imputed sample). MR examined causal pathways between schizophrenia liability and cognition. Results: The fully adjusted models indicated that PLEs were associated with poorer working memory performance (cross-sectional analyses: b=-0.18, 95% CI -0.27 to -0.08, p<0.001; prospective analyses: b=-0.18, 95% CI -0.31 to -0.06, p<0.01). A similar pattern of results was found for PLEs and response inhibition (cross-sectional analyses: b=7.29, 95% CI 0.96 to 13.62, p=0.02; prospective analyses: b=10.29, 95% CI 1.78 to 18.97, p=0.02). We did not find evidence to suggest an association between PLEs and facial emotion recognition. MR analyses were underpowered and did not support observational results. Conclusions: In young adults, PLEs are associated with poorer concurrent and future working memory and response inhibition. Better powered genetically informed studies are needed to determine if these associations are causal.

scholarly journals Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia among young adults who are actively drinking: a randomized pilot trial

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Beth Miller ◽  
Chelsea B Deroche ◽  
Lindsey K Freeman ◽  
Chan Jeong Park ◽  
Nicole A Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Wrist Actigraphy ◽  
Insomnia Severity

Abstract Study Objectives More than half of young adults at risk for alcohol-related harm report symptoms of insomnia. Insomnia symptoms, in turn, have been associated with alcohol-related problems. Yet one of the first-line treatments for insomnia (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia or CBT-I) has not been tested among individuals who are actively drinking. This study tested (1) the feasibility and short-term efficacy of CBT-I among binge-drinking young adults with insomnia and (2) improvement in insomnia as a predictor of improvement in alcohol use outcomes. Methods Young adults (ages 18–30 years, 75% female, 73% college students) who met criteria for Insomnia Disorder and reported 1+ binge drinking episode (4/5+ drinks for women/men) in the past month were randomly assigned to 5 weekly sessions of CBT-I (n = 28) or single-session sleep hygiene (SH, n = 28). All participants wore wrist actigraphy and completed daily sleep surveys for 7+ days at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Results Of those randomized, 43 (77%) completed posttreatment (19 CBT-I, 24 SH) and 48 (86%) completed 1-month follow-up (23 CBT-I, 25 SH). CBT-I participants reported greater posttreatment decreases in insomnia severity than those in SH (56% vs. 32% reduction in symptoms). CBT-I did not have a direct effect on alcohol use outcomes; however, mediation models indicated that CBT-I influenced change in alcohol-related consequences indirectly through its influence on posttreatment insomnia severity. Conclusions CBT-I is a viable intervention among individuals who are actively drinking. Research examining improvement in insomnia as a mechanism for improvement in alcohol-related consequences is warranted. Trial Registration U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03627832, registration #NCT03627832

Is Binge Drinking in Young Adults Associated with an Alcohol-Specific Impairment of Response Inhibition?

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Czapla ◽  
Joe J. Simon ◽  
Hans-Christoph Friederich ◽  
Sabine C. Herpertz ◽  
Peter Zimmermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Drinking Pattern ◽  
Impulsive Behavior ◽  
Commission Errors ◽  
Matched Group ◽  
Binge Drinkers ◽  
Nonalcoholic Beverages

Background/Aims: Little is known about the association of binge drinking with impulsivity related to trait- or state-like aspects of behavior. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether binge drinkers show an impairment of inhibitory control in comparison to non-binge drinkers when confronted with alcohol-associated or control stimuli, and whether this is reflected in self-reported impulsivity. Methods: A go/no-go task with pictures of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages as well as control stimuli was administered to binge drinkers and a gender-matched group of non-binge drinkers. All participants also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Results: We found an alcohol-specific impairment of response inhibition for binge drinkers only, while the groups did not differ with regard to overall response inhibition to the experimental stimuli or self-reported impulsiveness (BIS-11). In addition, the number of commission errors in response to alcohol-associated stimuli was the only significant predictor of binge drinking. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that when young adults have established binge drinking as a common drinking pattern, impairment of inhibition in response to alcoholic stimuli is the only significant predictor of binge drinking, but not general impulsive behavior. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel

scholarly journals Alcohol use and cognitive functioning in young adults: improving causal inference

Addiction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Mahedy ◽  
Steph Suddell ◽  
Caroline Skirrow ◽  
Gwen S. Fernandes ◽  
Matt Field ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Causal Inference ◽  
Cognitive Functioning

scholarly journals Disruptions of working memory and inhibition mediate the association between exposure to institutionalization and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Tibu ◽  
M. A. Sheridan ◽  
K. A. McLaughlin ◽  
C. A. Nelson ◽  
N. A. Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Early Deprivation ◽  
Institutionalized Children ◽  
Memory Response ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

BackgroundYoung children raised in institutions are exposed to extreme psychosocial deprivation that is associated with elevated risk for psychopathology and other adverse developmental outcomes. The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is particularly high in previously institutionalized children, yet the mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. We investigated whether deficits in executive functioning (EF) explain the link between institutionalization and ADHD.MethodA sample of 136 children (aged 6–30 months) was recruited from institutions in Bucharest, Romania, and 72 never institutionalized community children matched for age and gender were recruited through general practitioners’ offices. At 8 years of age, children's performance on a number of EF components (working memory, response inhibition and planning) was evaluated. Teachers completed the Health and Behavior Questionnaire, which assesses two core features of ADHD, inattention and impulsivity.ResultsChildren with history of institutionalization had higher inattention and impulsivity than community controls, and exhibited worse performance on working memory, response inhibition and planning tasks. Lower performances on working memory and response inhibition, but not planning, partially mediated the association between early institutionalization and inattention and impulsivity symptom scales at age 8 years.ConclusionsInstitutionalization was associated with decreased EF performance and increased ADHD symptoms. Deficits in working memory and response inhibition were specific mechanisms leading to ADHD in previously institutionalized children. These findings suggest that interventions that foster the development of EF might reduce risk for psychiatric problems in children exposed to early deprivation.

scholarly journals Real-Time Mobile Monitoring of Drinking Episodes in Young Adult Heavy Drinkers: Development and Comparative Survey Study

10.2196/13765 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e13765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J Fridberg ◽  
James Faria ◽  
Dingcai Cao ◽  
Andrea C King
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real World ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Natural Environments

Background Binge drinking, defined as consuming five or more standard alcoholic drinks for men (four for women) within a 2-hour period, is common among young adults and is associated with significant alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. To date, most research on this problem in young adults has relied upon retrospective questionnaires or costly laboratory-based procedures. Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may address these limitations by allowing researchers to measure alcohol use and related consequences in real time and in drinkers’ natural environments. To date, however, relatively less research has systematically examined the utility of this approach in a sample of young adults targeting real-world heavy drinking episodes specifically. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a smartphone-based EMA method targeting binge drinking and related outcomes in heavy drinking young adults during real-world drinking occasions. Methods Young adult binge drinkers in the smartphone group (N=83; mean 25.4 (SD 2.6) years; 58% (48/83) male; bingeing on 23.2% (6.5/28) days in the past month) completed baseline measures of alcohol use and drinking-related consequences, followed by up to two smartphone-based EMA sessions of typical drinking behavior and related outcomes in their natural environments. They also completed next-day and two-week follow-up surveys further assessing alcohol use and related consequences during the EMA sessions and two weeks after study participation, respectively. A separate demographic- and drinking-matched safety comparison group (N=25) completed the baseline and two-week follow-up surveys but did not complete EMA of real-world drinking behavior. Results Most participants (71%, 59/83) in the smartphone group engaged in binge drinking during at least one 3-hour EMA session, consuming 7.3 (SD 3.0) standard alcoholic drinks. They completed 87.2% (507/581) system-initiated EMA prompts during the real-world drinking episode, supporting the feasibility of this approach. The procedure was acceptable, as evidenced by high participant ratings for overall satisfaction with the EMA software and study procedures and low ratings for intrusiveness of the mobile surveys. Regarding safety, participants endorsed few drinking-related consequences during or after the real-world drinking episode, with no adverse or serious adverse events reported. There were no differences between the groups in terms of changes in drinking behavior or consequences from baseline to two-week follow-up. Conclusions This study provided preliminary support for the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a smartphone-based EMA of real-time alcohol use and related outcomes in young adult heavy drinkers. The results suggest that young adults can use smartphones to safely monitor drinking even during very heavy drinking episodes. Smartphone-based EMA has strong potential to inform future research on the epidemiology of and intervention for alcohol use disorder by providing researchers with an efficient and inexpensive way to capture large amounts of data on real-world drinking behavior and consequences.

Real-Time Mobile Monitoring of Drinking Episodes in Young Adult Heavy Drinkers: Development and Comparative Survey Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J Fridberg ◽  
James Faria ◽  
Dingcai Cao ◽  
Andrea C King
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real World ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Natural Environments

BACKGROUND Binge drinking, defined as consuming five or more standard alcoholic drinks for men (four for women) within a 2-hour period, is common among young adults and is associated with significant alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. To date, most research on this problem in young adults has relied upon retrospective questionnaires or costly laboratory-based procedures. Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may address these limitations by allowing researchers to measure alcohol use and related consequences in real time and in drinkers’ natural environments. To date, however, relatively less research has systematically examined the utility of this approach in a sample of young adults targeting real-world heavy drinking episodes specifically. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a smartphone-based EMA method targeting binge drinking and related outcomes in heavy drinking young adults during real-world drinking occasions. METHODS Young adult binge drinkers in the smartphone group (N=83; mean 25.4 (SD 2.6) years; 58% (48/83) male; bingeing on 23.2% (6.5/28) days in the past month) completed baseline measures of alcohol use and drinking-related consequences, followed by up to two smartphone-based EMA sessions of typical drinking behavior and related outcomes in their natural environments. They also completed next-day and two-week follow-up surveys further assessing alcohol use and related consequences during the EMA sessions and two weeks after study participation, respectively. A separate demographic- and drinking-matched safety comparison group (N=25) completed the baseline and two-week follow-up surveys but did not complete EMA of real-world drinking behavior. RESULTS Most participants (71%, 59/83) in the smartphone group engaged in binge drinking during at least one 3-hour EMA session, consuming 7.3 (SD 3.0) standard alcoholic drinks. They completed 87.2% (507/581) system-initiated EMA prompts during the real-world drinking episode, supporting the feasibility of this approach. The procedure was acceptable, as evidenced by high participant ratings for overall satisfaction with the EMA software and study procedures and low ratings for intrusiveness of the mobile surveys. Regarding safety, participants endorsed few drinking-related consequences during or after the real-world drinking episode, with no adverse or serious adverse events reported. There were no differences between the groups in terms of changes in drinking behavior or consequences from baseline to two-week follow-up. CONCLUSIONS This study provided preliminary support for the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a smartphone-based EMA of real-time alcohol use and related outcomes in young adult heavy drinkers. The results suggest that young adults can use smartphones to safely monitor drinking even during very heavy drinking episodes. Smartphone-based EMA has strong potential to inform future research on the epidemiology of and intervention for alcohol use disorder by providing researchers with an efficient and inexpensive way to capture large amounts of data on real-world drinking behavior and consequences.

Neural impact of low-level alcohol use on response inhibition: An fMRI investigation in young adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 329 ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Hatchard ◽  
Ola Mioduszewski ◽  
Carley Fall ◽  
Aziza Byron-Alhassan ◽  
Peter Fried ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Low Level

scholarly journals Testing the association between tobacco and cannabis use and cognitive functioning: Findings from an observational and Mendelian randomization study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Mahedy ◽  
Robyn Wootton ◽  
Steph Suddell ◽  
Caroline Skirrow ◽  
Matt Field ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Mendelian Randomization ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Smoking Initiation ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Study Designs

AbstractBackgroundAlthough studies have examined the association between tobacco and cannabis use in adolescence with subsequent cognitive functioning, study designs are usually not able to distinguish correlation from causation.MethodsFirst, separate patterns of tobacco and cannabis use were derived using longitudinal latent class analysis based on measures assessed on five occasions from ages 13 to 18 years in a large UK based population cohort (ALSPAC). Cognitive functioning measures comprised working memory, response inhibition, and emotion recognition assessed at 24 years of age. One- and two-sample Mendelian randomization, methods for testing causal inference using genetic variants as proxies for an exposure of interest, were used to examine the causal relationship between smoking initiation/lifetime cannabis use, and subsequent cognitive functioning in ALSPAC.ResultsWe found evidence of a relationship between tobacco and cannabis use and diminished cognitive functioning for each of the outcomes in the observational analyses. The clearest evidence demonstrated a dose-response relationship between tobacco use and working memory suggesting late-onset regular tobacco smokers (b=-0.29, 95%CI=-0.45 to - 0.13), early-onset regular smokers (b=-0.45, 95%CI=-0.84 to -0.05), and early-onset regular cannabis users (b=-0.62, 95%CI=-0.93 to -0.31) performed worse on this task compared to individuals with a very low probability of using tobacco/cannabis. Mendelian randomization analyses were imprecise and did not provide additional support for these results.ConclusionsOverall, there was some evidence to suggest that adolescent tobacco and cannabis use were associated with diminished cognitive functioning. Better powered genetic studies are required to determine whether these associations are causal.

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