The Effects of Alcoholism Comorbidity on Neurocognitive Function Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Alcoholism and traumatic brain injury (TBI) often produce neuropsychological deficits. However, the extent and manner by which these factors interact is unclear. In this study, it was hypothesized that alcoholism would have compounding cognitive effects in individuals with TBI and alcoholism. Participants were divided into three groups, including a patient comparison (PC) group and groups with TBI with or without alcoholism histories. Participants were administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and major components of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery. Comparing the groups on test performance, the TBI groups performed significantly worse than the PC group but did not significantly differ from each other. Thus, the effects of TBI on cognitive function overshadow preexisting deficits from the alcoholism.