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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
Published on: February 6, 2019
Moderate alcohol use and cognitive function in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort study
Shiu Lun Au Yeung1, Chaoqiang Jiang, Weisen Zhang
1School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Purpose:
Observational studies in Western settings show moderate alcohol use associated with better cognitive function, but they are vulnerable to contextual bias. Evidence from non-Western settings may be useful to verify causality. We examined such association in southern China where alcohol use is low.
Methods:
We used multivariable linear regression in cross-sectional data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study to assess sex-stratified associations of alcohol use (never, occasional, moderate, heavy and former drinker) with delayed 10-word recall score for all 3 phases (N = 28,537) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score in phase 3 (N = 9,571).
Results:
Delayed 10-word recall scores were higher in moderate drinkers compared with never drinkers among men (0.30 words, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18 to 0.42) but not women (0.02; 95% CI: -0.12 to 0.17), adjusted for sociodemographic factors. Occasional alcohol users also had higher 10-word recall scores among men (0.27; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.37) and women (0.30; 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.37). These estimates were little altered by further adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Results for MMSE scores were similar.
Conclusions:
Alcohol may not drive the association between moderate use and better cognitive function, which instead may be due to confounding by general moderation in lifestyle.
