Neurocognitive Impairment and Personality Traits in Alcohol Addiction: Effect of Dual Pathology

This study aimed to determine if patients with dual diagnosis (DD) are especially prone to have more clinical and neurocognitive deficits than addictive patients without psychiatric comorbidity. A cross-sectional study was designed to examine the clinical and neuropsychological profile of women with alcohol dependence (AD). The sample comprised of 178 AD patients and was divided into two groups defined by the presence versus absence of DD. DD-AD patients showed higher severity of the clinical pattern of alcohol consumption compared with AD patients. Increased risk of DD was associated with impaired subjective need for alcohol (RR 5.695, p = 0.004), higher tolerance (RR 4.860, p = 0.016) and higher frequency of alcohol drinking (RR 3.154, p = 0.010). DD-AD patients also showed greater deficits in inhibitory control and cognitive impulsivity. Co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders is a complex problem that deserves efforts to achieve optimum outcomes of care for this population.