The impact of mild head injury on neuropsychological capacity in chronic alcoholics

A series of neuropsychological tests known to be sensitive to the effects of chronic alcoholism was administered to 25 detoxified alcoholic patients with histories of mild head injury and 25 detoxified alcoholics matched for age, race, socloeconomic status, education and drinking history parameters, but without histories of head injury. None of the tests was performed at significantly different levels by the two groups. It was concluded that mild head injury did not compound the effects of chronic alcoholism among these patients, although it was noted that both groups demonstrated the anticipated impairments on the tests. It was also suggested that researchers need not exclude alcoholic subjects with mild head injury histories from studies involving the use of standard neuropsychological tests.