Anatomo-pathological studies on alcoholic dementia: a review and up to date research

Neuropathological studies of cerebral disorders in alcoholics which started by means of macroscopic observation have issued many important articles until now. However, we can not yet stretch out the essential core of alcoholic dementia. Plenty of animal experiments also suggest some possibility fo neurotoxicity by ethanol but do not offer a definitive resolution. Moreover, there is the strict criticism concerning neuropathological evidence on alcoholic dementia. Nevertheless, we know that there are some alcoholics who have no evidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, but manifest persistent cerebral impairment after long-term heavy drinking. Under such circumstances it might be necessary to consider and study cerebral disorders in alcoholics, particularly relating to subcortical lesions. Pathomorphological investigations in our laboratory have put forward some significant findings.