Sahel Medical Journal

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2006  |  Volume : 9  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 134--138

Assessment of cognition in chronic alcoholics in maiduguri, Nigeria


F Salawu1, Sunday Bwala2, Musa Wakil3 
1 Departments of Medicine, *State S pecialist Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria
2 Departments of Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
3 Departments of Medicine, Federal Neuropsychiatry Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Correspondence Address:
F Salawu
P.O. Box 246, Maiduguri 600001
Nigeria

Background: Intellectual impairment is a devastating complication of alcohol abuse. The consequences of intellectual impairment are far-reaching, particularly for young people in their most reprod uctive years. Objectives: To determine whether there are differences in cognition between Nigerian chronic alcoholics and non-alcoholic controls. Method: Sevent y non-intoxicated chronic alcoholics and 70 non-alcoholic controls were compared using the modified Community Screening Instrument for Dementia. were matched for age, gender and educational level. The alcoholics were classified in two sub� groups based on their consumption of ethanol per occasion on jive or more days in the past 30 days: light drinkers (<5 alcoholic drinks) (n=45) and heavy drinkers (≥alcoholic drinks) (n=25). Results: Overall, non-alcoholics performed better than alcoholics In most of the entire neuropsychological measures. However, light drinker performed better than heavy drinkers in one function domain ( orientation to place p<0.0001). Conclusion: Cognitive decline occur In un-intoxicated Nigerian chronic alcoholics and appear to be ind e pendent of quality of ethanol consumed.


How to cite this article:
Salawu F, Bwala S, Wakil M. Assessment of cognition in chronic alcoholics in maiduguri, Nigeria.Sahel Med J 2006;9:134-138


How to cite this URL:
Salawu F, Bwala S, Wakil M. Assessment of cognition in chronic alcoholics in maiduguri, Nigeria. Sahel Med J [serial online] 2006 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];9:134-138
Available from: https://www.smjonline.org/article.asp?issn=1118-8561;year=2006;volume=9;issue=4;spage=134;epage=138;aulast=Salawu;type=0