Impact of Alcohol Use, Traumatic Stress, and Cigarette Smoking on Cognitive Functioning in Veterans With Co-occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

This article focuses on the impact of cigarette smoking on cognitive functioning in U.S. Military Veterans with co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study found that smoking status moderated the relationship between recent alcohol use and global cognitive function, with smokers exhibiting greater cognitive impairment—particularly in cognitive inhibition and auditory-verbal learning—compared to nonsmokers at higher levels of alcohol consumption. Traumatic stress symptoms further influenced these effects, especially on cognitive inhibition. These findings highlight the compounded negative effects of alcohol use, PTSD symptoms, and cigarette smoking on cognition, suggesting that addressing smoking cessation and targeting specific cognitive deficits may improve treatment outcomes for Veterans with co-occurring AUD and PTSD.