Objective To compare the effectiveness of integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with Western medicine and Western medicine alone for acute episodes of withdrawal in alcoholism. Methods According to the criteria of alcohol dependence and acute alcochol withdrawal syndrome of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ) , 62 consecutive patients were divided into two groups: 31 patients with odd numbers were allocated to the treatment group (4 patients were excluded because they left hospital early), 31 patients with even numbers were allocated to the control group. According to the four diagnostic methods of TCM, all patients in the treatment group were further divided into 4 types. The treatment group received valium, tiopronin, transfusion therapy and herbs (potion per day). The control group received the same therapy as the treatment group did but without oral herbs. Results Liver function, especially the difference between before and after treatment of GOT and γ-GT,the treatment group showed more improvement than the control group (P=0.046 and 0.001). The scores of anxiety and depression test, especially the HAMD, the treatment group showed more improvement than the control group (t=3.165, P=0.003). The treatment group used significantly less time than the control group (P=0.01), but no statistically significant difference was seen in the dosage of valium between the two groups (P=0.434). Conclusions The efficacy of integrated TCM with Western medicine is better than Western medicine alone for acute episodes of withdrawal in alcoholism.
Objective To explore the characteristics of cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence, and analyze the related influencing factors. Methods The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) was used to evaluate the cognitive function of 65 alcohol dependent patients hospitalized between January 1st and December 31st, 2014. The features of cognitive impairment and related influencing factors were analyzed. Results The differences of MoCA attention and delayed recall between different drinking year groups had statistical significance (P<0.05). The correlations of drinking year with MoCA attention (r=–0.250,P=0.044), and with delayed recall (r=–0.326,P=0.008) were both negative. MoCA scores, naming, attention and delayed recall were different statistically among different age groups (P<0.05). The correlations of ages with MoCA scores (r=–0.429,P<0.001), naming (r=–0.261,P=0.035), attention (r=–0.391,P=0.001) and delayed recall (r=–0.461,P<0.001) were all negative. MoCA scores, the visuoconstructional skills, language, abstraction and delayed recall were significantly different among different education level groups (P<0.05). The correlations of education level with MoCA scores (rs=0.650,P<0.001), the visuoconstructional skills (rs=0.540,P<0.001), language (rs=0.486,P<0.001), abstraction (r=0.602,P<0.001) and delayed recall (rs=0.593,P<0.001) were all positive. Ages had an effect on MoCA scores by multiple linear regression analysis (P<0.01). Conclusions For alcohol dependent patients with cognitive impairment, cognitive function is correlated with drinking year, age and education level. The cognitive function is much serious in patients with older age and longer drinking years. This kind of patients should be focused on and intervened early.