Neuropsychological Instruments for the Evaluation of Alcohol Abuse Disorders

Alcohol abuse disorder (AAD) is recognized as a public health problem due to its psychosocial and interpersonal disturbances, as well as the various medical illnesses and personal costs it generates. At the mental level, alcohol excess and abuse affect higher functions, with different effects on cognitive and adaptive functioning. Thus, this chapter has been written in order to provide references for neuropsychologists and doctors in order to provide them with evaluation instruments in order to study patients with a history of this disorder using specific batteries. The intention is to provide information on neuropsychological tools used to assess individuals with this condition. These tools are the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Controlled Oral Word Test (Controlled Oral Word Association Test, COWAT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Test of Words and Colors (STROOP), Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT), Revised Benton Visual Retention Test (RBVRT), Symbols and Digits Test (SDMT), and the Halstead-Reitan Trail Making Test (TMT). The tests are presented, and a few examples of recent use are mentioned in each case, showing measurement instruments used in research studies to demonstrate the effects of alcoholism on specific cognitive functions.