Introduction: Alcoholism is a public health problem in Slovenia and the incidence of excessive consumption of alcohol among the elderly is increasing. Long-term and untreated alcoholism often leads to cognitive decline and dementia. Mild or sever cognitive decline may occur in one specific cognitive domain, while other domains may remain intact. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate the impact of alcoholism on cognitive function decline, to identify which domains are most affected in older adults, and to define the role of a nurse in raising awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol. Methods: A descriptive method of work with a review of professional and scientific literature was used. The exclusion criteria were grey literature, articles that need to be paid, inconsistency between the content of the article and the title of the thesis. The literature review included eleven papers published between 2012 and 2022 and the relevant quality of the articles was analyzed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Results: The impact of alcoholism is most associated with cognitive decline in memory, executive functions, and global cognitive decline. Cognitive function is significantly more affected by excessive alcohol consumption compared to moderate alcohol consumption, poorer cognitive test scores are associated with long-term alcohol use, short-term abstinence, and lower cognitive performance scores at baseline. Discussion and conclusion: Alcoholism has an impact on cognitive decline, but research results vary due to several factors such as gender, age, amount and pattern of alcohol consumption, education, economic status, and comorbidity. The public health problem of alcoholism affects the whole of society, and a significant role in identifying and reducing the problem is played by primary health care and a nurse as part of the team, especially in the area of prevention. The use of screening tests and raising public awareness is important and recommended. Alcoholism and excessive alcohol consumption (i)reversibly impairs cognitive functions, but opinions differ on moderate alcohol consumption. Measures to prevent the consequences of alcohol are linked to abstinence and responsible drinking. It would be advisable to conduct research in Slovenia and gain insight into the relationship and statistics of alcoholism and cognitive decline in older adults.
|