Cognitive functions and neuropsychological status of medical students with different attitudes to alcohol use: A study conducted at the Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus

- Alcohol users had lower cognitive and academic performances, poor neuropsychological states, compared with non-alcohol users.
- Majority of the medical students, regardless of their attitude to alcohol, had moderate state anxiety levels.
- Subjective assessment of the functional state by the participants was in agreement with the objective measures of cognitive performance.
- An inverse dose-dependent relationship exists between alcohol consumption, and cognitive functions, academic performance and neuropsychological status.

This article presents findings on the effects of alcohol use on cognitive performance, functional (well-being, activity, mood) and neuropsychological status and anxiety levels of medical students. A total of 265 medical students (107 males and 158 females) from the Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk (Belarus) were administered questionnaire, containing the AUDIT, CAGE, MAST, and PAS, and other alcohol related questions. Academic Performance questionnaire was administered together with other tests. For analysis of cognitive functions, a “correction probe” test was used. The number of students who reported consumption of alcohol was 74 males and 142 females. Medical students who reported alcohol consumption had lower cognitive performance and academic success, poor self-assessment of their functional and neuropsychological states, compared to the non-alcohol users. The results of this study suggest an inverse dose-dependent relationship between alcohol consumption, and cognitive functions, academic performance and neuropsychological status of medical students.