Risk Factors for Cognitive Impairment in Adults Attending Australian Community-Based Substance Use Treatment Services

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Cognitive impairment is common in individuals undergoing treatment for substance use disorders.
• Multiple factors contribute to cognitive issues, and key risk factors for significant impairment remain unclear.
• This ambiguity complicates effective screening and identifying individuals needing comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine clinical characteristics and risk factors for cognitive impairment in individuals in community-based substance use treatment.
• To identify which risk factors predict objective cognitive impairment using a cognitive screening measure.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 559 individuals in community drug and alcohol services (New South Wales, Australia, 2015-2020).
• Data included risk factors for cognitive impairment, objective cognitive screening, and questionnaire data.

Main Results:

• 72% of clients met criteria for suspected cognitive impairment.
• High rates of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were reported.
• Neurodevelopmental conditions, education level, and self-rated cognitive/functional ability significantly predicted Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores.

Conclusions:

• Individuals in substance use treatment exhibit high rates of cognitive impairment risk factors.
• Determining the need for comprehensive cognitive assessment is complex.
• A history of neurodevelopmental conditions or self-reported cognitive/functional difficulties may warrant objective cognitive screening.