Use of the U.S. National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) Registry to
Examine Differences in Neuropsychological Deficits in the Presence of Alcohol 
   Lead Investigator:    Jane Sutcliff
   Institution      :    Mercer University
   E-Mail           :    lindsay.jane.sutcliff@live.mercer.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1585



   Proposal Description:
   Hypothesis 1: Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) with an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) will demonstrate more severe neuropsychological deficits than individuals without AUD. We expect that these differences will be especially evident in domains of executive functioning and memory.                           Specific Aim 1: We will determine the neuropsychological consequences of the presence of an Alcohol Use Disorder in the NACC AD sample. We will use established NACC variables of neuropsychological functioning (the executive functioning, mini-mental status examination score to assess global cognitive outcome, logical memory test to assess memory, etc.) to assess these differences.                                                                     Hypothesis 2: Individuals with AUD who have a lower frequency of drinking within the past three months will have less severe deficits on measures of neuropsychological functioning when compared to participants with higher drinking frequency. We expect that abstinent individuals will have the least severe deficits.                                                                 Specific Aim 2: We will determine the severity of neuropsychological deficits in individuals with AUD, measured by the neuropsychological battery included in the NACC, as impacted by frequency of drinking. We will use the NACC variable of Alcohol Frequency to assess how often an individual had at least one drink of any alcohol beverage during the past three months.                             Background/Significance/Rationale: Existing literature suggests that individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) are prone to impairments in neuropsychological functioning, particularly in areas of executive functioning and memory. AUD has also been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such     as AD. Research has shown that with time, individuals with AUD who abstain from alcohol can show improvements in neuropsychological deficits. This relationshi