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Biomedical subjects

S C Bowden

Publications and source records attributed to S C Bowden.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Delayed matching to sample and concurrent learning in nonamnesic humans with alcohol dependence.

Small samples of alcohol-dependent subjects who showed no clinical signs of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome were compared with nonalcohol-dependent controls on two animal memory tests which are performed poorly by human amnesics. Compared to the control subjects, the alcohol-dependent subjects' performance was impaired on a version of the delayed matching to sample task. On concurrent discrimination learning the overall group difference just failed to reach significance. The results are interpreted as suggesting that behavioural impairment may occur in alcohol-dependent subjects who are not clinically amnesic, and that the impairment is similar in type to that observed in cases of severe Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Relative usefulness of the WMS and WMS-R: a comment on D'Elia et al. (1989)

In a previous commentary, D'Elia and colleagues reflected on the relative adequacy of normative data for the original Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R). They concluded that, for some age groups, the original version of the test is preferred. We discuss further the crux of the D'Elia and colleagues criticism of the WMS-R, namely the issue of interpolation in tables of normative data. We also consider two additional criteria: the sampling techniques used to obtain the normative samples, and the respective standard errors of measurement and scaling properties of scores on the two tests. We conclude that on each of these criteria the WMS-R is preferable.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Separating cognitive impairment in neurologically asymptomatic alcoholism from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: is the neuropsychological distinction justified?

Recent studies that have combined neuropathological data and clinical histories in a retrospective fashion have shown that Wernicke-Korsakoff neuropathology is often unsuspected antemortem and that, in terms of clinical presentation, it is more heterogeneous than previously assumed. Thus, many studies of neurologically normal alcoholics may have been confounded by the inclusion of patients with neurologically asymptomatic Wernicke-Korsakoff neuropathology. Postmortem and in vivo studies have shown that alcoholics, irrespective of neurological diagnosis, have widespread pathology involving many cortical and subcortical sites. In addition, clinical studies have indicated that, like neurologically asymptomatic alcoholics, alcoholic Korsakoff patients may enjoy substantial recovery in cognitive function. Furthermore, the common research strategy of identifying a subset of neurologically diagnosed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome as a discrete group of "pure" Korsakoff's amnesia by using a definitional IQ-Wechsler Memory Scale quotient difference may have created a neuropsychological stereotype that is not representative of the broader clinical group. In light of these considerations, the separate treatment of cognitive impairment in groups of alcoholics distinguished by the clinical signs of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome may not be justified.

Alcohol Amnestic Disorder↗
PubMed1990

Early HIV-related neuropsychological impairment: relationship to stage of viral infection.

Sixty male outpatients with no past neuropsychiatric history were examined for evidence of early HIV-related neuropsychological impairment. Significant cognitive deficit, as measured by the RAVLT and WAIS-R Digit Symbol Substitution tests, and moderate correlation with indices of immune function, were observed in a group of patients with AIDS-Related Complex [ARC]. Patients with asymptomatic HIV-infection demonstrated no significant differences in performance compared to a group of HIV-seronegative controls. No significant group differences in age, education, predicted-IQ or self-rated depression and anxiety were observed. These results support the hypothesis that HIV-related cognitive disturbance occurs within the context of immunosuppression.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1988

Learning in young alcoholics.

A group of young male alcoholics with a mean age of 26.7 years performed less well than matched controls on a test of complex maze learning. The relatively short period of time during which these alcoholics had been drinking to excess (M = 5.7 years) suggests that acquired deficits may appear earlier in the drinking history of many alcoholics than has been previously assumed. Data from the maze was analyzed by modelling each individuals' cumulative error scores with a two-parameter hyperbolic function. The model provided an excellent fit to individual data and group differences were observed in both parameters of the model. It is concluded that curve fitting provides an efficient method for representing individual performance on a multitrial learning task.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The hangover hypothesis and the influence of moderate social drinking on mental ability.

The "hangover" hypothesis proposes that there is some residual effect of low to moderate alcohol intake on the nervous system after the blood alcohol level has returned to zero. This notion has been invoked to explain the putative effects of moderate alcohol consumption on mental ability. We evaluated the hangover hypothesis by attempting to predict cognitive performance from self-reports of alcohol consumed during the week prior to testing. We found no meaningful evidence to support the notion that moderate alcohol ingestion produces a measurable toxic effect on brain function after the period of acute intoxication.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Brain impairment in social drinkers? No cause for concern.

Correlations between measures of alcohol consumption and cognitive test scores have been interpreted to reflect a chronic toxic effect of ethanol on brain function in light to moderate social drinkers. However, the data indicate that there is little support across research groups for any specific relationship and, at best, the effect of alcohol consumption accounts for only a small proportion of variance. Consideration of test validity suggests that the principal measure of ability used in this research is not capable of elucidating cerebral deficit. Further, the pattern of observed correlations is not consistent with the assumption that the putative effects of social drinking involve deficits less severe but similar in type to those seen in chronic alcoholics. Instead, an association between innate ability, demographic variables, and drinking behavior in the general population is the most parsimonious explanation of all the data.

Age Factors↗