Effect of gender on neurologic findings in alcoholics

We examined 340 men and 60 women admitted for alcohol detoxification to determine if there was a difference in the neurologic effects of alcohol on men and women with similar alcohol, drug, and medical histories. Focal neurologic deficits, seizure histories, and electroencephalographic abnormalities were assessed. Confounding factors, such as illicit drug use, head trauma, neurosurgery, and repeated detoxifications were monitored in both male and female populations. Our findings reveal no excess focal neurologic deficits in women compared to men. EEG recordings revealed more abnormalities in women than men, but there was no excess seizure activity reported for the women. For men, the prevalence of seizure histories is correlated with the number of inpatient detoxifications to which the patient submitted. For women, the correlation of seizure prevalence with detoxification admissions does not hold.