Regional cerebral glucose utilization in chronic organic mental disorders associated with alcoholism

Localized cerebral utilization rates for glucose (CMRglu) were determined in 10 detoxified patients with alcoholic organic mental disorders and in 7 age-equivalent normal volunteers using [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography. Although gray and white matter CMRglu were not significantly different, normalized CMRglu was increased in the left cerebellar and parietal cortical regions and decreased in the right posterior white matter and anterior temporal regions of alcoholic patients, and the pattern of regional CMRglu differed between the two groups. The results suggest functional disruption of right-sided and frontal brain regions and hyperactivity of cerebellar-cortical connections in alcoholic chronic organic mental disorders.