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Computed tomographic correlates of auditory brainstem responses in alcoholics
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|April 1, 1985
Summary
Alcoholism can cause abnormal auditory brainstem responses, linked to brainstem atrophy. This study found decreased brainstem size ratios in alcoholics with abnormal responses, suggesting morphological changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Previous research indicates a high incidence of abnormal auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in alcoholics.
- These abnormalities are more prevalent when cerebral and/or cerebellar atrophy is evident on CT scans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate electrophysiological findings (ABRs) with morphological alterations in the brainstem of alcoholics.
- To quantitatively measure brainstem structures in CT scans to identify structural changes.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative measurements of brainstem structures were performed using CT scans.
- The ratio between brainstem size and its surrounding cisterns was calculated at midbrain, upper pons, and lower pons levels.
- Alcoholics were compared to an age-matched control group.
Main Results:
- Alcoholics, as a group and those with abnormal ABRs, showed a decreased brainstem-to-cistern ratio at all measured levels compared to controls.
- Alcoholics with normal ABRs did not exhibit this decreased ratio.
- The findings suggest a correlation between abnormal ABRs and increased cistern size, indicative of potential brainstem atrophy.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal auditory brainstem responses in alcoholics are associated with measurable morphological changes in the brainstem.
- Increased brainstem cistern size, suggesting atrophy, correlates with abnormal electrophysiological findings in alcoholics.