Visual memory and alcohol use in a middle-aged birth cohort

TL;DR

This study found that alcohol use in middle-aged individuals is not linearly related to visual memory, with some types of alcohol showing positive or negative effects.

Contribution

The study reveals non-linear associations between alcohol consumption and visual memory in a middle-aged cohort.

Findings

Frequent beer and wine use in males was linked to better visual memory.

High spirit consumption in males was associated with worse visual memory.

Total daily alcohol use showed no significant impact on visual memory.

Abstract

Light and moderate alcohol use has been reported to be associated with both impaired and enhanced cognition. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there was a linear relationship between visual memory and alcohol consumption in males and females in a large middle-aged birth cohort population in cross-sectional and longitudinal settings. Data were collected from 5585 participants completing 31-year (1997–1998) and 46-year (2012–2014) follow-ups including Paired Associate Learning (PAL) test at 46-years follow-up. The participants were originally from 12,231 study population of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966). The PAL test was conducted to assess visual memory. Reported alcohol use was measured as total daily use of alcohol, beer, wine, and spirits converted into grams and as frequency and amount of use of beer, wine, and spirits. The total daily alcohol use was not associated with reduced visual memory. The frequency of use of beer and wine in males was associated with better visual memory in cross-sectional and longitudinal settings. Using six or more servings of spirits was associated with worse visual memory in males in cross-sectional and longitudinal settings. The study suggested a lack of a linear association between drinking and visual memory in the middle-aged population.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-024-18153-1.

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