[The association between cerebral atrophy and amounts of alcohol consumption in alcoholic patients]

To study the relationship between alcohol consumption and cerebral atrophic changes.

Forty-four second stage alcoholic patients at the age of 30-55 years were examined using magneto-resonance imaging of the brain combined with psychological testing of cognitive functions and the TLFB technique. Based on the TLFB technique, patients were stratified into mild and heavy alcohol consumers.

All patients had signs of atrophy in the cerebral cortex, especially in its fronto-parietal parts, the corpus callosum and paraventricular white matter. The degree of the atrophy and weakening of cognitive functions in the mild alcohol consumers was considerably higher than in the heavy alcohol consumers. This suggests the relatively higher sensitivity to alcohol in such patients that is associated with less favorable outcome.