A study on the attention networks dysfunction and its influencing factors in the patients with alcohol use disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the impairment of attention network function in male patients with alcohol use disorder(AUD) and the main influencing factors of attention network function. Methods Forty-one patients with AUD after withdrawal therapy and 34 healthy controls (HC) matched with their demograph-ic data were selected as subjects of study. Attention function were assessed by attention network test (ANT). Results Compared with the healthy control group((30. 62±19. 74)ms,(98. 59±1. 46)%),there were sig-nificant differences in the reaction time of alerting network(t=-2. 479,P=0. 015) and the correct rate of the attention network test(t=-2. 074,P=0. 044) in the AUD group((17. 02±26. 42)ms,( 95. 07±10. 73)%). Pearson correlation analysis showed the alert network of AUD was negatively correlated with the age of first drinking(r=-0. 316,P=0. 044) and was positively correlated with the score of Penn alcohol craving scale (PACS) (r=0. 364,P=0. 019). The correct rate of attention network function in patients with AUD was negatively correlated with the years for education ( r=-0. 343, P=0. 028) and years for addiction ( r=-0. 337,P=0. 031). Linear regression analysis showed the attention network function of AUD patients was affected by the age of first drinking(β=0. 432,t=2. 079,P=0. 046),the years for addiction(β=-0. 555,t=-3. 127,P=0. 004) and years for uncontrol drinking(β=0. 309,t=2. 074,P=0. 047). Conclusion The AUD patients were demonstrated deficit in the alerting network. The impairment of attention function of AUD patients were influenced by their drinking condition.

Study on object,verbal and space working memory in male patients with alcohol dependence / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore working memory in male patients with alcohol dependence.Methods50 male patients with alcohol dependence(AD group) and 50 healthy controls(HC group) were assessed by digit span test,trail making test and verbal fluency test.The visual-object,visual-verbal,visual-space working memory tasks were used to measure the difference of working memory between the two groups.ResultsCompared with HC group,alcohol dependence group showed significant impairments in performance of error number of visual-object,visual-verbal,visual-space working memory tasks (AD group:(3.76±2.20),3(2,5),(3.74±2.40));(HC group:(2.94±1.60),2(1,3),2(1,4))(t=2.133,P=0.035;Z=-2.400,P=0.016;Z=-2.654,P=0.008).Moreover,scores of Michigan alcoholism screening test were positively correlated with the error number of verbal working memory task (r=0.371,P=0.008).ConclusionThe male patients with alcohol dependence exhibit impairments in all aspects of working memory.

A study on correlation between verbal memory and working memory in patients with alcohol dependence / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the correlation between verbal memory and working memory in patients with alcohol dependence (AD).Methods A total of 40 patients with AD and 40 health controls were included in this study.N-back task was used to evaluate the verbal working memory.20 sets of phrases were used to evaluate long-term verbal memory.Results Correct number of verbal memory in AD group ((5.15±0.92)times) was lower than that of HC group ((7.35±3.07) times) after one-week baseline test,and the difference was statistically significant (t=4.344,P＜ 0.01).Compared with HC group ((1 436.37±192.50) ms,(1.08±0.89) times,(4.00±0.85) times,respectively),AD group((1 535.40± 192.50) ms,(1.90± 1.57)times,(2.60± 1.39)times) showed significantly impaired reply reaction time of 2-back,error number of 1-back and 2-back (t=-2.112,P=0.038;t=-2.899,P=0.005;t=-5.433,P＜0.01).The error number of 2-back task in AD group was negative correlated with verbal memory after one-week baseline test (r=-0.427,P=0.006).Conclusion The verbal memory is impaired in AD patients.Long-term verbal memory damage have a certain correlation with working memory.

A study of attention networks in the patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the attention network in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).Methods 31 GAD patients,31 OCD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) were tested with attention network test.Results There were significant differences in the main effects with respect to the alerting network(15.87±5.24,26.77±4.33,34.87±3.47) (F=4.619,P=0.012)) and the executive network(114.84±9.64,122.45±5.57,96.57±5.45) (F=3.388,P=0.038) among the OCD,GAD and HC groups.The three groups did significantly differ in RT of the attention network (F=19.808,P=0.000).For the HC group,there was significant main effects with respect to cue conditions(F=29.699,P=0.000).There was a significant correlation between the executive network and Hamilton anxiety scale (r=0.351) and also a significantly negative correlation between the alerting network and Hamilton depression scale (r=-0.267).Conclusion There are attention network damages in patients with OCD and GAD,which may be involved in the impairment of emotion.

A clinical control study of error monitoring in the patients with schizophrenia / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the error monitoring function damages on the patients with schizo?phrenia ( SCH) . Methods A total of 32 patients with schizophrenia were compared with matched 34 health con?trols ( HC) on the error monitoring tasks which were compiled by E?Prime. Results The comparison between SCH group ((713.22±174.52)ms,( 491.14±170.29) ms,( 1060.31±130.84) ms,(8.28±12.55)time,( 8.00± 7.53)time respectively) and HC group ((560.73±156.94) ms,(395.62±188.03) ms,(989.85±104.33) ms, (2.97±4.13) times,(3.12±6.50) times) on the reaction time of choice,assessment,incongruent condition,the numbers of uncertain and the numbers of dropout were significant ( t=-3.737, P=0.000;t=-2.159, P=0.035;t=-2.426, P=0.018;t=-2.282, P=0.022;t=-2.824, P=0.006) . The SCH group and HC group did not signifi?cantly difference in Full Correct((124.72±23.74)/(131.74±21.96)times),Full Error((15.69±17.64)/(13.35± 18.63)times),Part Correct((6.83±10.40)/(4.21±7.03)times),Part Error((2.91±10.91)/(0.62±1.10)times) and Accuracy((0.831±0.161)/(0.874±0.159))(P>0.05).There was no significantly correlation among the course of disease,HAMA,HAMD and the error monitoring. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the error monitoring function damages on the patient with SCH may be involved in the dysfunction of anterior cingulate cortex.

A study of prospective memory in the inpatients with abstinent male alcohol dependence / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate thc cvent-based prospective memory (EBPM)and time-based prospective memory(TBPM)in the inpatients with abstinent alcohol dependence and the relationships between prospective memory and symptoms.Methods 32 male patients with alcohol dependence and 30 normal controls matched by age,education,HAMD and HAMA were assessed with a neuropsychological battery of tests including EBPM and TBPM tasks.Results A statistically significant in EBPM was observed between patients with alcohol dependence and normal controls (3.91 ± 0.69 vs.4.47 ± 0.63,t =-3.348,P ＜ 0.0 1) and the same result in TBPM (3.28 ±0.77 vs.4.20 ±0.66,t=-5.032,P＜0.01).The positively correlation was showed between the duration of abstinence and EBPM (r =0.444,P ＜ 0.05),as well as TBPM (r =O.423,P ＜ 0.05) in the patients.Conclusion The results suggest abstinent alcohol dependence patients impairs both EBPM and TBPM.PM shows correlated with duration of abstinence moderately in the patients.

Investigation of attentional bias to word-related cues in male alcohol dependent patients / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the attentional biases in male alcohol dependent (AD) patients and the correlations between the attentional bias and alcohol-related factors.MethodsA total of 30 recently detoxified male individuals with alcoholism were compared with 37 healthy controls ( HC ) on the Chinese Emotional Stroop Task using negative,neutral,and alcohol-related words.ResultsThe comparison between AD group( ( 1382.13 ±323.38) ms,( 1365.76 ±313.03)ms,( 1433.20 ±342.23) ms,respectively) and HC group( (797.27 ±216.97)ms,( 794.11 ± 209.41 ) ms,(799.40 ± 215.82 ) ms respectively) on the reaction time of neutral,negative and alcohol-related words were significant ( t =8.822,P ＜ 0.001 ; t =8.922,P ＜ 0.001 ; t =9.234,P ＜ 0.001 ).The error number of of the neutral and negative- related words of the patients ( ( 3.70 ± 2.56) time,( 4.23 ± 2.53 ) time)was worse than that of HC group( ( 2.11 ± 1.87 ) time,( 1.92 ± 1.82 ) time) ( t =2.939,P =0.005 ; t =4.355,P ＜0.01 ).Error number of the alcohol- related words between two groups were not significant;Its alcohol-related words attentional bias negative correlation to the age of initial alcohol use(P＜ 0.05 ),and positive correlation to continue drinking and score of self-rating depression scale (P＜0.05).Age of addiction and the score of self-rating anxiety scale enter the regression equation of alcohol-related words.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that alcoholics have attentional bias in alcohol-related words and reward-related brain regions may be associated with craving among male patients with attentional bias.

The effect of methadone maintenance treatment on decision-making biases in male heroin dependent patients / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To investigate the characteristics of decision-making impairment in male patients with heroin dependence in methadone maintenance treatment(MMT). Methods A total of 45 male patients in MMT were compared with matched 32 health controls on the Iowa Gambling Task. Results Participants with anxiety or depression had to be excluded, MMT subjects were required to have negative urine toxicology screening tests.The MMT group selected more net disadvantageous cards (number of cards selected from the disadvantageous decks minus number of cards selected from advantageous decks) than health controls( (9.11 ± 19.60, -4.25 ±10.27 respectively), t=3. 884, P＜0.01). A 2(group) ×5(block) ANOVA (analysis of variance) on the cards of net disadvantageous from the gambling task revealed a significant main effect of group( F= 12.414, P＜0.01 ).The ANOVA also revealed a significant main effect of block( F=6.871, P＜0.01 ). The study indicated the totalnumber of net disadvantageous cards for MMT subjects was negative correlation to the age of initial drug use ( r=- 0. 320, P ＜ 0. 05 ). Meanwhile, methadone dose and the time of enrollment MMT did not reveal a significant main effect on decision-making biases. Conclusion The deficit of decision making for male heroin dependent patients might be attributed to the dysfunction of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and this effect does not resolve with abstinence, even very long term abstinence. Methadone may not get worse this impairment in male patients who have a history of heroin use during maintenance treatment intervention.