Journal
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Volume 33, Issue 6, Pages 808-821Publisher
AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
DOI: 10.1037/neu0000572
Keywords
emotional processing; social cognition; alcohol use disorder; abstinence; brain correlates
Categories
Funding
- U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant [AA017923]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective: To review deficits in emotional processing and social cognition potentially contributing to the dysfunctional emotion regulation and difficulties with interpersonal relationships observed in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and to provide directions for haw research. Method: First is presented a review of emotional and social-cognitive impairments in recently detoxified AUD individuals that include alexithymia. difficulties in decoding others' emotions, and reduced theory of mind and empathy skills. Social cognition disorders in AUD pose different issues discussed, such as whether (1) these deficits are consequences of excessive alcohol consumption or premorbid risk factors for addiction, (2) emotional and social impairments positive treatment outcome, (3) recovery of social abilities is possible with sustained abstinence, and (4) AUD patients are unaware of their emotional and social dysfunctions. Finally, current knowledge on structural and functional brain correlates of these deficits in AUD are reviewed. Results: Emotional and social-cognitive functions affected in AUD can potentially compromise efforts to initiate and maintain abstinence by hampering efficacy of clinical treatment. Such dysfunction can obstruct efforts to enable or reinstate higher-order abilities such as emotional self-regulation, motivation to change, success in interpersonal/social interactions, and emotional insight and awareness of social dysfunctions (i.e., accurate metacognition). Conclusions: The present review highlights the need to account for emotional processing and social cognition in the evaluation and rehabilitation of alcohol-related neurocognitive disorders and to consider psychotherapeutic treatment involving remediation of emotional and social skills as implemented in psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available