Impaired Cognitive Function in Alcohol Use Disorder Cohort in Aged Population

Abstract

While moderate social alcohol consumption may have protective effects, heavy alcohol use or alcohol use disorder (AUD) negatively impacts cognitive and memory function. The brain is highly vulnerable to the toxic effects of alcohol, which can impair cognitive function. In this study, we investigate the impact of AUD on cognition, memory, and amyloid plaque burden. We examined 6278 subjects, age ranges of 30-92 years old. All subjects were recruited from Olmsted County in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, from 2004 to 2020. Cognition data was adjudicated based on alcohol consumption status, and subjects were divided into two groups: those with AUD (AUD+) and those without (AUD-), based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10/11 criteria and CAGE questionnaire. Our data showed a significant negative effect of AUD on both global cognition and memory function, with the AUD+ group scoring lower than the AUD- group. We also found that subjects with AUD+ aged 65 and older had higher odds of having abnormal amyloid plaques. Interestingly, APOE4 carriers showed a higher amyloid load in both sexes without difference between AUD- and AUD+ groups. Our findings suggest that AUD is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and decreased memory in aging populations. We also found evidence of increased amyloid plaque burden in subjects over age 65 with AUD.

Note:
Funding declaration: This work was supported by the Samuel C. Johnson Genomics of Addiction Program at Mayo Clinic, the Ulm Foundation, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA028968, AA029258) and Aging (AG072898).

Conflicts of Interest: D.S.C. is a scientific advisory board member to Peptron Inc., and the Peptron had no role in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; nor the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted without commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval: Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved all procedures involving subject participation. All subjects have signed informed consent to their data being used in clinical research.

Keywords: Alcoho, AUD, Cognition, memory, Aging, Dementia