{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:37:03Z","timestamp":1760146623016,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,20]],"date-time":"2024-11-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1732060800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Alcohol dependence is associated with several neuropsychological abnormalities, such as increased impulsivity or attentional bias towards drug-related stimuli. However, it is debated whether these abnormalities are on the decline after long-term abstinence from alcohol. Inpatient rehabilitation treatment enables the longitudinal investigation of such variables during a long, largely secured, period of abstinence. Methods: This study involved alcohol-dependent patients consecutively admitted for a duration of 14\u201326 weeks to an inpatient rehabilitation treatment center located in a hospital specializing in substance use disorders. Craving and impulsivity were assessed with the means of two questionnaires (e.g., OCDS-G and BIS-11); conversely, attentional bias and problems with inhibition were measured with the help of two computer-based experiments (e.g., dot\u2013probe task and stop\u2013signal\u2013reaction task). Investigations were conducted at entry, after 6 weeks, and during the last two weeks of the inpatient treatment. Results: A total of 130 patients with alcohol dependence (mean age 43.3 years; 78.5% male) completed the first, N = 102 the second, and N = 83 the final assessment. Over the whole period of inpatient treatment, there was a significant decrease in patients\u2019 scores for both craving (t(83) = 7.8, p &lt; 0.001) and impulsivity (t(82) = \u22123.75, p &lt; 0.001, t(82) = 4.4, p &lt; 0.001). However, there were no significant changes regarding attentional bias (t(82) = 0.16, p = 0.494) and inhibitory control (t(76) = 0.04, p = 0.482) scores. Conclusions: Neuropsychological abnormalities associated with alcohol dependence might persist even after a long abstinence period. The decrease in both craving and impulsivity levels may be explained by the protected, alcohol-free, hospital environment; however, patients\u2019 risk of post-discharge relapse may remain high, as the basic neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol dependence may persist for long periods, and possibly for more than 3\u20136 months.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci14111160","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,20]],"date-time":"2024-11-20T07:02:58Z","timestamp":1732086178000},"page":"1160","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Neuropsychological Abnormalities Associated with Alcohol Dependence During Long-Term Rehabilitation Treatment of German Inpatients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-9188-5587","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Josef","family":"Rabl","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-University Hospital Essen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, 45147 Essen, Germany"},{"name":"Johannesbad Kliniken Fredeburg GmbH, Zu den drei Buchen 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dieter","family":"Geyer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Johannesbad Kliniken Fredeburg GmbH, Zu den drei Buchen 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dario","family":"Kroll","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MIDI-Insitute, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Technische Hochschule K\u00f6ln, Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 54, 50968 K\u00f6ln, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4178-5401","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabrizio","family":"Schifano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane Campus, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1759-6990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Norbert","family":"Scherbaum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-University Hospital Essen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Virchowstr. 174, 45147 Essen, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bernardin, F., Maheut-Bosser, A., and Paille, F. 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