This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Alcohol and cognitive function

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • excess alcohol consumption is associated with deterioration in cognitive function e.g. Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsokoff's psychosis
  • there is however evidence that moderate alcohol consumption in women (up to one drink (15.0g of alcohol) per day) does not impair cognitive function and may actually decrease the risk of cognitive decline
    • the study investigated the affects of alcohol consumption in 12,480 participants in the Nurses' Health Study aged 70-81 who had their cognitive function evaluated and then re-evaluated after 2 years
    • consumption of up to one drink of alcohol per day (<15.0g per day) was associated with better cognitive scores than non-drinkers
    • higher levels of alcohol consumption (15-30g of alcohol per day) had no significant association with cognitive decline
      • type of alcohol consumed (wine compared with beer) was irrelevant with respect to any changes in cognitive function

Reference:

  1. N Engl J Med. 2005 Jan 20;352(3):245-53

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.