[Potentialities of neuropsychological methods for investigation of alcoholism]

Results from a sample of 411 alcohol dependent patients and healthy controls showed diagnostic potentialities of neuropsychological methods for investigation aimed at discovering of disturbances of higher psychic functions indicative of organic brain lesions. The proposed standardized neuropsychological technique is a sufficiently sensitive instrument not only for revealing minimal brain deficiency linked to chronic alcoholic intoxication but also for the evaluation of its intensity, diffuseness, localization of organic brain lesion. The complex analysis of above-listed indicators allows to determine if these disturbances are specific or nonspecific for alcoholism. This method also increases the effectiveness of diagnosis of minimal brain deficiency in patients with alcohol dependence and can be used for solution of theoretical problems.