並列摘要
Cognitive impairments are usually observed in patients with alcohol use disorder. Literatures showed chronic excessive alcohol consumption is related to diffuse cognitive deficits. The above harmful effects vary with age, and evidences suggested a J-shape relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment, especially among the elderly. Various mechanisms have been attributed to the effects of alcohol on brain, such as direct toxicity of alcohol, and indirect harmful effects from comorbidities of alcohol use disorder. On the other hand, cognitive impairment would be an endophenotype of alcohol use disorder; therefore, there is a bidirectional relationship between alcohol use disorder and cognition. Cognitive impairment may impede the treatment outcome and recovery for alcohol use disorder, so it is important that health care providers screen the alcoholism for cognitive impairment, and further design practical treatment strategies for complex combination of alcohol use disorder and cognitive impairment.