Executive Functions in Alcohol Use Disorder: The Positive Role of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation—Prospective Cohort Study

ABSTRACT Introduction Executive functioning (EF) consists of basic components (inhibition, working memory [WM] and flexibility) and more complex components that depend on the proper functioning of the basic components. Deficits in EF are common in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and can impact treatment effectiveness and quality of life. This study examined the impact of neuropsychological rehabilitation (NR) on improving these functions. Method A prospective observational cohort study was conducted in an AUD treatment unit, with three evaluation points: baseline and after 3 and 6 months. The study compared EF recovery in patients undergoing group therapy for AUD (WTG: weekly therapeutic groups; NRG: NR group). The sample consisted of 65 participants who underwent medically assisted detoxification from April 2021 to August 2023. The following instruments were administered: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Dependency Severity Questionnaire, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Trail Making Test, the Verbal Fluency Test, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and the Colour and Word Test—Stroop. Statistical procedures included parametric and nonparametric tests and linear mixed‐effects models. Results EF improved in both groups, but the NRG showed a higher increase in The FAB after 3 months, which was reflected in better performance in its key components (WM and flexibility). This improvement was maintained 6 months after the start of treatment. Discussion and Conclusions Integrating NR into AUD treatments appears to contribute to greater and faster improvement.