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Table 3 Comparison of characteristics of studies that examined the effect of different levels of alcohol consumption

From: Long-term effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive function: a systematic review and dose-response analysis of evidence published between 2007 and 2018

 

Study dates (years from T0; bold= ‘baseline’)

Alcohol category* (bold=referent)

Cognitive function (bold=selected result)

Study ID

(sample size at T0; % female)

Age (T0)

T0

T1

T2

T3

T4

T5

TX

Age final follow-up

Length of follow-up from b/l

0 to < 10 g/week

≥ 10 g/week to < 10 g/day

≥ 10 to < 20 g/day

≥ 20 to < 30 g/day

≥ 30 to < 40 g/day

≥ 40 to < 50 g/day

≥ 50 g/day

Global function

MCI diagnosis

Complex attention

Executive function

Learning and memory

Language

Perceptual motor ability

Social cognition

Outcome description (details of selected result)

Arntzen 2010 [44]

(5033; 56%)**

58 (mean)

A

C

(~7)

     

~65

~7

X

X

       

X

 

X

   

SCD: learning and memory (immediate and delayed recall)

Downer 2015 [45]

(664; 56%)**

42 (mean)

A

C

(~28)

C

(~34)

    

75 (mean)

~34

X

X

 

X

 

X

 

X

  

X

X

   

GCF: Average of Z-scores on 11 tests (incl. memory, executive function, language, complex attention)

Hassing 2018 [46]

(305; 56%) critical RoB

~56–66

A

C

(~24)

C

(~26)

C

(~28)

C

(~30)

C

(~32)

 

83 (mean)

~32

 

X

X

X

   

X

   

X

 

X

 

GCF: MMSE score (change over time)

Heffernan 2016 [47]

(821; 55%)**

70–90

A, C

C

(~2)

C

(~2)

    

~74–94

~4

X

 

X

  

X

   

X

X

X

X

X

 

SCD: learning and memory (delayed recall)

Hogenkamp 2014 [48]

(652; 100%)

70

A, C

C (~7)

     

77

~7

X

X

X

X

     

X

X

    

SCD: executive function (TMT-B)

Horvat 2015 [49]

(28,947; 55%)**

45–69

A, C

C (~4)

     

47–78

~4

X

WM

W

WM

  

M

  

X

 

X

X

  

SCD: learning and memory (delayed recall)

Kesse-Guyot 2012 [50]

(3088; 46%)**

45–60

A

C (~13)

     

~58–73

~13

X

WM

 

WM

 

WM

WM

X

  

X

X

X

  

GCF: Average of T-scores on 6 tests (executive function; learning & memory; language)

Kitamura 2017 [51]

(1814; 60%)**

44–79

A

C (~3)

     

~47–82

~3

X

 

X

 

X

 

X

X

       

GCF: cognitive impairment (MMSE <24)

Lang 2007 [52]

(13,333; 57%)

≥ 65

A

C

(~4)

     

≥ 69

~4

X

X

 

X

X

  

X

       

GCF: Binary “poor function” (bottom quintile for sum of scores on 3 tests)

McGuire 2007 [53]

(2572; 66%) critical RoB

≥ 70 (mean 76)

A

A, C

(~2)

C

(~2)

    

~80

~2

X

X

X

    

X

       

GCF: Binary “low” or “high” (based on cut-off score on 2 tests)

Piumatti 2018 [54]

(13,342; 55%)

40–73

A, C

C

(~5)

     

~45–78

~5

continuous variable

  

X

     

SCD: complex attention (mean reaction time over 7 test trials)

Richard 2017 [55]

(1334; 54%)**

55–84

A

C

(~4)

C

(~4)

C

(~4)

C

(~4)

C

(~4)

C

(~4)

85

14±8

(med-ian)

X

W

M

W

M

W

M

X

       

GCF: Binary “impaired” or “healthy” based on cut-off on Z-scores (age, sex, education adjusted MMSE)

Sabia 2011 [56]

(4073; 0%)**

~45–55

A

A

(1)

A

(1)

A

(1)

A

(1)

A

(1)

A (T6-9), C (T10, 11)

~55–65

1

M

M

M

M

M

    

X

     

SCD: complex attention (digit symbol substitution test)

Sabia 2014 [57]

(7153; 29%)**

35–55

A

A

(~5)

A, C (~5)

C (~5)

C (~5)

  

55–80

~10

X

W

M

W

W

M

 

M

 

X

  

X

X

   

GCF: Average of Z-scores on 4 tests (executive function; learning & memory)

Samieri 2013 [58]

(6174; 100%)

≥ 60

A

C(5.6)

C(~2)

C(~2)

   

~79 (mean)

~10

X

X

 

X

   

X

   

X

   

GCF: Average of Z-scores on 5 tests (TICS, learning & memory, language)

Solfrizzi 2007 [59]

(1445; 44%)

65–84

A, C

C

     

~68–87

3.5

X

X

 

X

X

   

X

      

MCI: hazard ratio for incident MCI (Petersen diagnostic criteria)

Stott 2008 [60]

(5,804; 52%)**

70–82

A, C

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

  

~73–85

3.2

X

X

M

    

X

 

X

 

X

   

GCF: MMSE score

Wardzala 2018 [61]

(486; 75%)

≥ 80

A, C

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

C

(~1)

~86–91

~5–7

X

W

M

 

W

M

   

X

 

X

X

X

X

  

GCF: MMSE score (change over time)

  1. Abbreviations: GCF: Global cognitive function, SCD: Specific cognitive domain, MCI: Mild cognitive impairment, A: Measure of alcohol intake, C: Measure of cognition, M: Men, W: Women, X: Men and women. DSST: Digit symbol substitution test, DSCT: Digit symbol coding test, TMT: Trail making test, MMSE: Mini-Mental State Exam, TICS: Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, RoB: Risk of bias
  2. *Based on mean or median alcohol consumption, or midpoint of specified category (if average consumption for group not reported). For the largest dose category, if an upper bound was not specified then the assigned dose value was calculated as the lower bound of the largest dose category plus the width of the previous (second-to-largest) category. Alcohol category: Bolded entry (X, M or W) was used as referent in study
  3. **Included in dose-response analysis for ‘females’ only, ‘males’ only, or ‘females and males’
  4. Follow up until age 86—number of follow-up measures depends on age at baseline