[Clinical and lesion-related bases of alcoholic brain damage]

Alcohol-induced brain damage is known since long, with classical descriptions of lesions. There is no constant correlation between them and any of the clinical presentations of chronic intoxication. New neuroimaging techniques, neuropsychology and basic investigation have supplied with new data. The so-called alcoholic dementia and its possible reversibility are major issues of this problem. This paper reviews radiological, pathological, vascular and neuropsychological studies related to this point.