Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to several cognitive deficits, such as problems with spatial processing, decreased executive functioning, impaired verbal fluency, poor working memory, response inhibition, and social problems such as aggression and social deviance. In order for patients to benefit from treatment, they must be able to utilize multiple cognitive functions. Research has shown that patients suffering from cognitive impairments are much more likely to drop out of treatment early, thereby lending them to higher relapse rates. This study aimed to identify cognitive deficits present in the alcohol addiction treatment population, demographic factors associated with higher levels of cognitive deficits, and whether these patients’ cognitive deficits predict treatment dropout. Results of this study indicated that patients in the addiction treatment program at the LLUBMC evidenced reductions in visuospatial abilities, immediate memory, delayed memory, and overall cognitive function. Further, in this population, below average delayed memory significantly predicted treatment dropout.
","abstract_html":"<p>Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to several cognitive deficits, such as problems with spatial processing, decreased executive functioning, impaired verbal fluency, poor working memory, response inhibition, and social problems such as aggression and social deviance. In order for patients to benefit from treatment, they must be able to utilize multiple cognitive functions. Research has shown that patients suffering from cognitive impairments are much more likely to drop out of treatment early, thereby lending them to higher relapse rates. This study aimed to identify cognitive deficits present in the alcohol addiction treatment population, demographic factors associated with higher levels of cognitive deficits, and whether these patients’ cognitive deficits predict treatment dropout. Results of this study indicated that patients in the addiction treatment program at the LLUBMC evidenced reductions in visuospatial abilities, immediate memory, delayed memory, and overall cognitive function. Further, in this population, below average delayed memory significantly predicted treatment dropout.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Abeyesinhe, Suranee"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Clinical Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Owen, Jason E.","Lee, Grace J.","Vermeersch, David A.","Whyte, Ricardo"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-09-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-09-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:15Z","subjects":["Clinical Psychology","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Alcoholism","Alcohol Addiction","Cognitive Deficits","Treatment Dropout","Cognition"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/178","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Owen, Jason E.","Lee, Grace J.","Vermeersch, David A.","Whyte, Ricardo"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Abeyesinhe, Suranee"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Clinical Psychology","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Alcoholism","Alcohol Addiction","Cognitive Deficits","Treatment Dropout","Cognition"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/178"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to several cognitive deficits, such as problems with spatial processing, decreased executive functioning, impaired verbal fluency, poor working memory, response inhibition, and social problems such as aggression and social deviance. In order for patients to benefit from treatment, they must be able to utilize multiple cognitive functions. Research has shown that patients suffering from cognitive impairments are much more likely to drop out of treatment early, thereby lending them to higher relapse rates. This study aimed to identify cognitive deficits present in the alcohol addiction treatment population, demographic factors associated with higher levels of cognitive deficits, and whether these patients’ cognitive deficits predict treatment dropout. Results of this study indicated that patients in the addiction treatment program at the LLUBMC evidenced reductions in visuospatial abilities, immediate memory, delayed memory, and overall cognitive function. Further, in this population, below average delayed memory significantly predicted treatment dropout.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Cognitive Function in the Alcohol Addiction Treatment Population"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Owen, Jason E.","Lee, Grace J.","Vermeersch, David A.","Whyte, Ricardo"],"dc:creator":["Abeyesinhe, Suranee"],"dc:description.abstract":["Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to several cognitive deficits, such as problems with spatial processing, decreased executive functioning, impaired verbal fluency, poor working memory, response inhibition, and social problems such as aggression and social deviance. In order for patients to benefit from treatment, they must be able to utilize multiple cognitive functions. Research has shown that patients suffering from cognitive impairments are much more likely to drop out of treatment early, thereby lending them to higher relapse rates. This study aimed to identify cognitive deficits present in the alcohol addiction treatment population, demographic factors associated with higher levels of cognitive deficits, and whether these patients’ cognitive deficits predict treatment dropout. Results of this study indicated that patients in the addiction treatment program at the LLUBMC evidenced reductions in visuospatial abilities, immediate memory, delayed memory, and overall cognitive function. Further, in this population, below average delayed memory significantly predicted treatment dropout.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/178"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Clinical Psychology","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Alcoholism","Alcohol Addiction","Cognitive Deficits","Treatment Dropout","Cognition"],"dc:title":["Cognitive Function in the Alcohol Addiction Treatment Population"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Clinical Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:15Z"}