Tese
Substâncias potencialmente aditivas consumidas por idosos e suas associações com os domínios cognitivos das funções executivas
Fecha
2020-03-06Autor
Ricardo Luís de Aguiar Assis
Institución
Resumen
Objective: the present thesis proposed to investigate the potentially addictive substances,
alcohol, cigarettes, and benzodiazepines, consumed by the elderly and the associations with
executive functions. Methods: the Thesis was designed with mixed methods: it is a cross-
sectional study and control cases. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 203 elderly
people, 137 females, 66 males, the average age of 69.12 ± 7.05. In the cross-sectional study,
the Path Analysis model was used, in which the trajectory analysis is a statistical form of
multiple regression used to evaluate causal models, examining the relationships between
dependent and independent variables. In case-control studies, subsamples were matched by
type of substance consumed, sex, education, and socioeconomic status. The hypotheses in
the control cases about cognitive impairments, associated with the use of potentially
addictive substances, alcohol, cigarettes, and benzodiazepines, were analyzed by the
Student's T-test for normal variables and by the Mann Whitney test for non-normal variables.
In addition, logistic regression models were used to identify significance values adjusted
odds ratios (ORa). Results: the cross-sectional analysis of the total sample of 203 elderly
people, significant results were observed among elderly people who used alcohol and the
executive function cognitive flexibility (r = 14.954, sd = 7.652, Z = 1.978, p = 0.048) and
executive function inhibitory control (r = 6,991, sd = 3,234, Z = 2,162, p = 0,031). In this
case, the cognitive flexibility executive domain was the most affected by alcohol
consumption. Cigarette consumption by the elderly was also associated with impaired
working memory (r = 0.425, sd = 0.158, Z = 2.683, p = 0.007). Among the case-control
studies of the thesis, there was a differential association between alcohol and cigarette
consumption and executive functions. The results related to the prolonged use of
Clonazepam by the elderly still stand out. In this study, Clonazepam is associated with a
better performance of executive functions. Conclusions: the present thesis presents relevant
results for population studies with the elderly, which can serve as an aid in clinical
management and influence the models of prevention and intervention in an expanded clinic.
This population and clinical study with the elderly can assist in the management of the
expanded clinic, as it has an influence on prevention and intervention models, in which
executive functions are important in the healthy aging process.