Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alcohol and Cognition

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Alcohol and Aging

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have observed that older adults who consume light to moderate amounts of alcohol have higher cognitive functioning and are less likely to develop different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, compared to older adults who do not consume alcohol. Similar findings have been reported by studies that have examined midlife alcohol consumption and cognitive functioning during old age. The apparent benefits of consuming light to moderate amounts of alcohol have been attributed to increased cell proliferation in specific regions of the brain, antioxidative properties of alcohol, and reduced risk for health conditions associated with accelerated cognitive decline and dementia. However, there is a debate regarding whether alcohol plays a causal role in preserving cognitive functioning during old age and older adults who abstain from alcohol should not be advised to start consuming alcohol. The objective of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive summary of the evidence from animal and human studies that have examined the effect that alcohol consumption has on the brain and cognitive functioning. This chapter also reviews the evidence for a causal relationship between alcohol and cognition as well as alternative explanations for the observed findings from epidemiological studies. Finally, we conclude by providing future research directions that can be pursued to clarify the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive functioning during old age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Schaie KW. The course of adult intellectual development. Am Psychol. 1994;49(4):304–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Langa KM, Larson EB, Karlawish JH, et al. Trends in the prevalence and mortality of cognitive impairment in the United States: is there evidence of a compression of cognitive morbidity? Alzheimers Dement. 2008;4(2):134–44.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Manton KC, Gu XL, Ukraintseva SV. Declining prevalence of dementia in the U.S. elderly population. Adv Gerontol. 2005;16:30–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Rocca WA, Petersen RC, Knopman DS, et al. Trends in the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive impairment in the United States. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7(1):80–93.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Brookmeyer R, Gray S, Kawas C. Projections of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States and the public health impact of delaying disease onset. Am J Public Health. 1998;88(9):1337–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Hebert LE, Scherr PA, Bienias JL, Bennett DA, Evans DA. Alzheimer disease in the US population: prevalence estimates using the 2000 census. Arch Neurol. 2003;60(8):1119–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hebert LE, Weuve J, Scherr PA, Evans DA. Alzheimer disease in the United States (2010-2050) estimated using the 2010 census. Neurology. 2013;80(19):1778–83.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Larson EB, Yaffe K, Langa KM. New insights into the dementia epidemic. N Engl J Med. 2013;369(24):2275–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Moore AA, Gould R, Reuben DB, et al. Longitudinal patterns and predictors of alcohol consumption in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2005;95(3):458–65.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Obernier JA, Bouldin TW, Crews FT. Binge ethanol exposure in adult rats causes necrotic cell death. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2002;26(4):547–57.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cippitelli A, Damadzic R, Frankola K, et al. Alcohol-induced neurodegeneration, suppression of transforming growth factor-beta, and cognitive impairment in rats: prevention by group II metabotropic glutamate receptor activation. Biol Psychiatry. 2010;67(9):823–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Nixon K, Crews FT. Binge ethanol exposure decreases neurogenesis in adult rat hippocampus. J Neurochem. 2002;83(5):1087–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. He J, Nixon K, Shetty AK, Crews FT. Chronic alcohol exposure reduces hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic growth of newborn neurons. Eur J Neurosci. 2005;21(10):2711–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Anderson ML, Nokia MS, Govindaraju KP, Shors TJ. Moderate drinking? Alcohol consumption significantly decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Neuroscience. 2012;224:202–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Stevenson JR, Schroeder JP, Nixon K, Besheer J, Crews FT, Hodge CW. Abstinence following alcohol drinking produces depression-like behavior and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2009;34(5):1209–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Gu Y, Scarmeas N, Short EE, et al. Alcohol intake and brain structure in a multiethnic elderly cohort. Clin Nutr. 2014;33(4):662–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Downer BG, Jiang Y, Zanjani F, Fardo D. Effects of alcohol consumption on cognition and regional brain volumes among older adults. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2015;30(4):364–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. den Heijer T, Vermeer SE, van Dijk EJ, et al. Alcohol intake in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in older persons without dementia. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80(4):992–7.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Enzinger C, Fazekas F, Matthews PM, et al. Risk factors for progression of brain atrophy in aging: six-year follow-up of normal subjects. Neurology. 2005;64(10):1704–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Paul CA, Au R, Fredman L, et al. Association of alcohol consumption with brain volume in the Framingham study. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(10):1363–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Mukamal KJ, Longstreth Jr WT, Mittleman MA, Crum RM, Siscovick DS. Alcohol consumption and subclinical findings on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in older adults: the cardiovascular health study. Stroke. 2001;32(9):1939–46.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Taki Y, Kinomura S, Sato K, et al. Both global gray matter volume and regional gray matter volume negatively correlate with lifetime alcohol intake in non-alcohol-dependent Japanese men: a volumetric analysis and a voxel-based morphometry. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006;30(6):1045–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Anstey KJ, Jorm AF, Reglade-Meslin C, et al. Weekly alcohol consumption, brain atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities in a community-based sample aged 60 to 64 years. Psychosom Med. 2006;68(5):778–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kapogiannis D, Kisser J, Davatzikos C, Ferrucci L, Metter J, Resnick SM. Alcohol consumption and premotor corpus callosum in older adults. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2012;22(10):704–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. de Bruin EA, Hulshoff Pol HE, Bijl S, et al. Associations between alcohol intake and brain volumes in male and female moderate drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2005;29(4):656–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Davis BJ, Vidal JS, Garcia M, et al. The alcohol paradox: light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, cognitive function, and brain volume. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014;69(12):1528–35.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Cederbaum AI. Alcohol metabolism. Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(4):667–85.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Alfonso-Loeches S, Pascual M, Guerri C. Gender differences in alcohol-induced neurotoxicity and brain damage. Toxicology. 2013;311(1-2):27–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Duriez Q, Crivello F, Mazoyer B. Sex-related and tissue-specific effects of tobacco smoking on brain atrophy: assessment in a large longitudinal cohort of healthy elderly. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014;6:299.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Moos RH, Brennan PL, Schutte KK, Moos BS. Older adults’ health and late-life drinking patterns: a 20-year perspective. Aging Ment Health. 2010;14(1):33–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Anstey KJ, Mack HA, Cherbuin N. Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009;17(7):542–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Neafsey EJ, Collins MA. Moderate alcohol consumption and cognitive risk. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2011;7:465–84.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Peters R, Peters J, Warner J, Beckett N, Bulpitt C. Alcohol, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly: a systematic review. Age Ageing. 2008;37(5):505–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Thies W, Bleiler L. 2011 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7(2):208–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Sachdev P, Kalaria R, O’Brien J, et al. Diagnostic criteria for vascular cognitive disorders: a VASCOG statement. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2014;28(3):206–18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Jimenez M, Chiuve SE, Glynn RJ, et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of stroke in women. Stroke. 2012;43(4):939–45.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Bryson CL, Mukamal KJ, Mittleman MA, et al. The association of alcohol consumption and incident heart failure: the Cardiovascular Health Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;48(2):305–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Petersen RC, Negash S. Mild cognitive impairment: an overview. CNS Spectr. 2008;13(1):45–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. DeCarli C, Miller BL, Swan GE, Reed T, Wolf PA, Carmelli D. Cerebrovascular and brain morphologic correlates of mild cognitive impairment in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study. Arch Neurol. 2001;58(4):643–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Roberts RO, Geda YE, Cerhan JR, et al. Vegetables, unsaturated fats, moderate alcohol intake, and mild cognitive impairment. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2010;29(5):413–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Weyerer S, Schaufele M, Eifflaender-Gorfer S, et al. At-risk alcohol drinking in primary care patients aged 75 years and older. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009;24(12):1376–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Espeland MA, Gu L, Masaki KH, et al. Association between reported alcohol intake and cognition: results from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2005;161(3):228–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Luck T, Luppa M, Briel S, et al. Mild cognitive impairment: incidence and risk factors: results of the leipzig longitudinal study of the aged. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010;58(10):1903–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Solfrizzi V, D’Introno A, Colacicco AM, et al. Alcohol consumption, mild cognitive impairment, and progression to dementia. Neurology. 2007;68(21):1790–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Xu G, Liu X, Yin Q, Zhu W, Zhang R, Fan X. Alcohol consumption and transition of mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2009;63(1):43–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Orgogozo JM, Dartigues JF, Lafont S, et al. Wine consumption and dementia in the elderly: a prospective community study in the Bordeaux area. Rev Neurol (Paris). 1997;153(3):185–92.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Truelsen T, Thudium D, Gronbaek M. Copenhagen City Heart S. Amount and type of alcohol and risk of dementia: the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Neurology. 2002;59(9):1313–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Luchsinger JA, Tang MX, Siddiqui M, Shea S, Mayeux R. Alcohol intake and risk of dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004;52(4):540–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Letenneur L. Risk of dementia and alcohol and wine consumption: a review of recent results. Biol Res. 2004;37(2):189–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Stampfer MJ, Kang JH, Chen J, Cherry R, Grodstein F. Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive function in women. N Engl J Med. 2005;352(3):245–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Ruitenberg A, van Swieten JC, Witteman JC, et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study. Lancet. 2002;359(9303):281–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Lindsay J, Laurin D, Verreault R, et al. Risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease: a prospective analysis from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Am J Epidemiol. 2002;156(5):445–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Letenneur L. Moderate alcohol consumption and risk of developing dementia in the elderly: the contribution of prospective studies. Ann Epidemiol. 2007;17(5):S43–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Goldberg DM, Soleas GJ. Wine and health: a paradigm for alcohol and antioxidants. J Med Biochem. 2011;30(2):93–102.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Di Castelnuovo A, Rotondo S, Iacoviello L, Donati MB, De Gaetano G. Meta-analysis of wine and beer consumption in relation to vascular risk. Circulation. 2002;105(24):2836–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Ferreira MP, Weems MK. Alcohol consumption by aging adults in the United States: health benefits and detriments. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(10):1668–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Sofi F, Cesari F, Abbate R, Gensini GF, Casini A. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis. BMJ. 2008;337:a1344.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  58. Downer BG, Zanjani F, Fardo DW. The Relationship Between Midlife and Late Life Alcohol Consumption, APOE e4 and the Decline in Learning and Memory Among Older Adults. Alcohol Alcohol. 2014;49(1):17–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Gross AL, Rebok GW, Ford DE, et al. Alcohol consumption and domain-specific cognitive function in older adults: longitudinal data from the Johns Hopkins Precursors Study. The journals of gerontology. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2011;66(1):39–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Kesse-Guyot E, Andreeva VA, Jeandel C, et al. Alcohol consumption in midlife and cognitive performance assessed 13 years later in the SU.VI.MAX 2. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52311.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Anttila T, Helkala EL, Viitanen M, et al. Alcohol drinking in middle age and subsequent risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in old age: a prospective population based study. BMJ. 2004;329(7465):539.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  62. Mukamal KJ, Kuller LH, Fitzpatrick AL, Longstreth Jr WT, Mittleman MA, Siscovick DS. Prospective study of alcohol consumption and risk of dementia in older adults. JAMA. 2003;289(11):1405–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Day E, Bentham P, Callaghan R, Kuruvilla T, George S. Thiamine for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome in people at risk from alcohol abuse. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;1, CD004033.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Ridley NJ, Draper B, Withall A. Alcohol-related dementia: an update of the evidence. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013;5(1):3.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  65. Olgiati P, Politis AM, Papadimitriou GN, De Ronchi D, Serretti A. Genetics of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease: update from the alzgene database and analysis of shared pathways. Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;2011:832379.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Lopez OL, Jagust WJ, Dulberg C, et al. Risk factors for mild cognitive impairment in the Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study: part 2. Arch Neurol. 2003;60(10):1394–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Aberg E, Hofstetter CP, Olson L, Brene S. Moderate ethanol consumption increases hippocampal cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the adult mouse. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2005;8(4):557–67.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Rubin N, Leung H, Valk JE, Wertheimer SM, Derick H. Role of mitochondria in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In: Tirosh O, editor. Liver metabolism and fatty liver disease. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  69. Kesner RP. A behavioral analysis of dentate gyrus function. Prog Brain Res. 2007;163:567–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Scarmeas N, Stern Y, Tang MX, Mayeux R, Luchsinger JA. Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Ann Neurol. 2006;59(6):912–21.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  71. Manach C, Scalbert A, Morand C, Remesy C, Jimenez L. Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(5):727–47.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Vance TM, Su J, Fontham ET, Koo SI, Chun OK. Dietary antioxidants and prostate cancer: a review. Nutr Cancer. 2013;65(6):793–801.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. Riccioni G, Speranza L, Pesce M, Cusenza S, D’Orazio N, Glade MJ. Novel phytonutrient contributors to antioxidant protection against cardiovascular disease. Nutrition. 2012;28(6):605–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Uttara B, Singh AV, Zamboni P, Mahajan RT. Oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases: a review of upstream and downstream antioxidant therapeutic options. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2009;7(1):65–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  75. Valko M, Leibfritz D, Moncol J, Cronin MT, Mazur M, Telser J. Free radicals and antioxidants in normal physiological functions and human disease. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2007;39(1):44–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Sharma M, Gupta YK. Chronic treatment with trans resveratrol prevents intracerebroventricular streptozotocin induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in rats. Life Sci. 2002;71(21):2489–98.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Ho L, Chen LH, Wang J, et al. Heterogeneity in red wine polyphenolic contents differentially influences Alzheimer’s disease-type neuropathology and cognitive deterioration. J Alzheimers Dis. 2009;16(1):59–72.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  78. Ho L, Yemul S, Wang J, Pasinetti GM. Grape seed polyphenolic extract as a potential novel therapeutic agent in tauopathies. J Alzheimers Dis. 2009;16(2):433–9.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  79. Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of Alzheimer disease. JAMA. 2002;287(24):3223–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Devore EE, Grodstein F, van Rooij FJ, et al. Dietary antioxidants and long-term risk of dementia. Arch Neurol. 2010;67(7):819–25.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  81. Devore EE, Kang JH, Stampfer MJ, Grodstein F. The association of antioxidants and cognition in the Nurses’ Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(1):33–41. doi:10.1093/aje/kws202.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. Laurin D, Masaki KH, Foley DJ, White LR, Launer LJ. Midlife dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of late-life incident dementia: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;159(10):959–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Turner R, Thomas R, Craft S, et al. Resveratrol is Safe and Well-Tolerated in Individuals with Mild-Moderate Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease. Neurology. 2015;84(14):S33.009.

    Google Scholar 

  84. Beulens JW, Algra A, Soedamah-Muthu SS, Visseren FL, Grobbee DE, van der Graaf Y. Alcohol consumption and risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with clinically manifest vascular disease and diabetes mellitus: the Second Manifestations of ARTerial (SMART) disease study. Atherosclerosis. 2010;212(1):281–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Beulens JW, Stolk RP, van der Schouw YT, Grobbee DE, Hendriks HF, Bots ML. Alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes among older women. Diabetes Care. 2005;28(12):2933–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. Briasoulis A, Agarwal V, Messerli FH. Alcohol consumption and the risk of hypertension in men and women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14(11):792–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  87. Kadlecova P, Andel R, Mikulik R, Handing EP, Pedersen NL. Alcohol consumption at midlife and risk of stroke during 43 years of follow-up: cohort and twin analyses. Stroke. 2015;46(3):627–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  88. Djousse L, Himali JJ, Beiser A, Kelly-Hayes M, Wolf PA. Apolipoprotein e, alcohol consumption, and risk of ischemic stroke: the Framingham Heart Study revisited. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2009;18(5):384–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  89. Renaud SC, Beswick AD, Fehily AM, Sharp DS, Elwood PC. Alcohol and platelet aggregation: the Caerphilly Prospective Heart Disease Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992;55(5):1012–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  90. Barnes DE, Yaffe K. The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. Lancet Neurol. 2011;10(9):819–28.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  91. Cumming T, Brodtmann A. Dementia and stroke: the present and future epidemic. Int J Stroke. 2010;5(6):453–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  92. Newsom JT, Huguet N, McCarthy MJ, et al. Health behavior change following chronic illness in middle and later life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(3):279–88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  93. Platt A, Sloan FA, Costanzo P. Alcohol-consumption trajectories and associated characteristics among adults older than age 50. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2010;71(2):169–79.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  94. Brookmeyer R, Evans DA, Hebert L, et al. National estimates of the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7(1):61–73.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  95. Mayeda ER, Haan MN, Kanaya AM, Yaffe K, Neuhaus J. Type 2 diabetes and 10-year risk of dementia and cognitive impairment among older Mexican Americans. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(9):2600–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  96. Shaper AG, Wannamethee G, Walker M. Alcohol and mortality in British men: explaining the U-shaped curve. Lancet. 1988;2(8623):1267–73.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  97. Roizen R, Fillmore K, Chikritzhs T, Stockwell T. Light-to-moderate drinking and dementia risk: the former drinkers problem re-visited. Addict Res Theory. 2013;21(3):181–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  98. Feinleib M, Kannel WB, Garrison RJ, McNamara PM, Castelli WP. The Framingham Offspring Study. Design and preliminary data. Prev Med. 1975;4(4):518–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  99. Schaie WK. Intellectual development in adulthood: The Seattle Longitudinal Study. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  100. Alzheimer’s A. 2013 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9(2):208–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  101. Prescott CA, Kendler KS. Genetic and environmental contributions to alcohol abuse and dependence in a population-based sample of male twins. Am J Psychiatry. 1999;156(1):34–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  102. Foroud T, Edenberg HJ, Crabbe JC. Genetic research: who is at risk for alcoholism. Alcohol Res Health. 2010;33(1-2):64–75.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  103. Bierut LJ, Goate AM, Breslau N, et al. ADH1B is associated with alcohol dependence and alcohol consumption in populations of European and African ancestry. Mol Psychiatry. 2012;17(4):445–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  104. Ma J, Betts NM, Hampl JS. Clustering of lifestyle behaviors: the relationship between cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary intake. Am J Health Promot. 2000;15(2):107–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  105. Anstey KJ, von Sanden C, Salim A, O’Kearney R. Smoking as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;166(4):367–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  106. Sawyer K, Corsentino E, Sachs-Ericsson N, Steffens DC. Depression, hippocampal volume changes, and cognitive decline in a clinical sample of older depressed outpatients and non-depressed controls. Aging Ment Health. 2012;16(6):753–62.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  107. Barnes DE, Yaffe K, Byers AL, McCormick M, Schaefer C, Whitmer RA. Midlife vs late-life depressive symptoms and risk of dementia: differential effects for Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012;69(5):493–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  108. Byers AL, Yaffe K. Depression and risk of developing dementia. Nat Rev Neurol. 2011;7(6):323–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  109. Krueger KR, Wilson RS, Kamenetsky JM, Barnes LL, Bienias JL, Bennett DA. Social engagement and cognitive function in old age. Exp Aging Res. 2009;35(1):45–60.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  110. Leroi I, Sheppard JM, Lyketsos CG. Cognitive function after 11.5 years of alcohol use: relation to alcohol use. Am J Epidemiol. 2002;156(8):747–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  111. Wiscott R, Kopera-Frye K, Seifert L. Possible consequences of social drinking in the early stages of Alzheimer disease. Geriatr Nurs. 2001;22(2):100–4; quiz 105.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA

    Brian Downer Ph.D.

  2. Department of Gerontology, University of Nebraska Omaha, 210N CPACS, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, NE, 68182, USA

    Julie B. Boron Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Brian Downer Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Julie B. Boron Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian Downer Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College at the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA

    Alexis Kuerbis

  2. Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA

    Alison.A. Moore

  3. School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Paul Sacco

  4. Department of Behavioral & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    Faika Zanjani

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Downer, B., Boron, J.B. (2016). Alcohol and Cognition. In: Kuerbis, A., Moore, A., Sacco, P., Zanjani, F. (eds) Alcohol and Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47233-1_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47233-1_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47231-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47233-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation