Abstract Introduction Consumption of substances has been associated with cognitive impairment. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) is an easy-to-apply screening tool used to assess cognitive functions. Objectives To evaluate the cognitive performance of individuals with alcohol (AUD) and/or crack cocaine use disorder (CUD) and polysubstance use using the MMSE and to investigate the impact of substance use profile and the moderation effect of educational level on MMSE performance. Methods Cross-sectional study with 508 adult male inpatients diagnosed with substance use disorders (245 with AUD, 85 with CUD, and 178 with polysubstance use). Cognitive performance was assessed using the MMSE scale (total and composite scores). Results Individuals with AUD had worse total MMSE scores and scored worse for all three MMSE components compared to individuals with polysubstance use (p < 0.001, oral/written language comprehension, p < 0.001, attention/memory, and p = 0.007, motor functions). MMSE scores were positively correlated with educational level (p < 0.017), but were not associated with age, recent drug use, or years of drug use. Educational level moderated the impact of substance use on MMSE performance, especially total score and composite language comprehension score. Individuals with a low educational level (≤ 8 years) had worse performance than those with a high educational level (≥ 9 years), mainly in individuals with AUD (p < 0.001). Discussion Individuals with a low educational level and alcohol use are more prone to present cognitive impairment than crack cocaine users, especially involving language aspects. Better-preserved cognitive function could impact treatment adherence and might guide the decision of therapeutic strategies.

Objective: To assess differences in blood inflammatory cytokines between people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and healthy controls (HC). Methods: Searches were performed from inception through April 14, 2021. Meta-analyses with random-effects models were used to calculate the standardized mean difference ([SMD], 95%CI), and potential sources of heterogeneity were explored trough meta-regressions and subgroup analysis. Results: The meta-analysis included 23 studies on the following 14 cytokines: tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL15, interferon (IFN)-γ and sCD14. There were significantly higher concentrations of IL-6 (n=462 AUD and 408 HC; SMD = 0.523; 95%CI 0.136-0.909; p = 0.008) in AUD than HC. No significant differences were found in the other 13 cytokines. Conclusion: We found that IL-6 levels were significantly higher in individuals with AUD than HC and that other cytokines were not altered. This can be explained by the small number of studies, their methodological heterogeneity, and confounding factors (active use, abstinence, quantity, and physical or psychiatric illnesses, for example). Despite a great deal of evidence about alcohol and inflammatory diseases, studies assessing the role of neuroimmune signaling in the development and severity of AUD are still lacking.