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PubMed1981

Cerebral atrophy and functional deficits in alcoholics without clinically apparent liver disease.

Ninety-seven chronic alcoholics, both impaired and unimpaired, without clinically evident liver disease, showed significantly more cerebral atrophy on computed tomography than age-matched neurologic controls. Age was the variable most highly correlated with cerebral atrophy measurements, and it accounted for most of the correlations between atrophy and functional impairment, except in the Wernicke-amnesic group. Analysis of the slopes of atrophy scores versus age showed a more rapid "rate" of development of cerebral atrophy in alcoholics compared with controls. There were no correlations between liver biopsy scores (51 cases), drinking history (47 cases), or dietary intake (39 cases) and cerebral atrophy measurements.

Adult↗

PubMed1980

EEG correlates of the alcohol-induced organic brain syndrome in man.

Fourteen chronic alcoholics were studied within 1 to 3 weeks of beginning abstinence for a duration of 6 to 10 weeks. Patients were drug-free during the study. Electroencephalograms were recorded on admission, and twice at 2- to 3-week intervals. Neurologic examinations were performed during the same week as EEGs, and patients received a psychologic examination and CT scan within 3 weeks. Two groups could be identified. One group had high neurologic impairment scores, low alpha production, high 20 to 30 Hz power, impaired gait, and mental performance, while the other had low scores, normal alpha rhythm, and reduced degree of mental dysfunction. The impaired group showed marked improvement in neurologic scores, alpha rhythm, and 20 to 30 Hz power within 4 to 6 weeks, in contrast to no change for the unimpaired group. There was no evidence that age, duration of drinking, time from last drink, or cortical atrophy were involved in predisposing alcoholics to demonstrate the observed changes. It is submitted that spontaneous recovery in brain function of neurologically impaired alcoholics accompanies abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption.

Adult↗

PubMed1972

[Not Available].

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