Differences in cerebral asymmetries related to drinking history and ethnicity. A computerized axial tomography (CAT)...

Normal computerized axial tomography scans of 179 American Indian, black, and white subjects were examined for cerebral asymmetry patterns. Information concerning the drinking history of each subject was also obtained. Results indicated that alcohol use history was associated with differences in asymmetry patterns, above and beyond differences associated with ethnicity. In subjects without a history of alcohol use, more whites were more likely to have left asymmetry of both occipital length and width, as compared to American Indians and blacks. In subjects with a history of alcohol use, all subjects closely resembled one another, regardless of ethnicity. In the total sample, alcohol users were more likely to show greater right occipital width.