Do brain damage and liver disease interrelate in advanced abusers of alcohol?

In a consecutive material comprising 43 alcoholics immediately prior to pension, due to their abuse, the interrelations between different symptoms of dysfunction of the brain and liver were studied. Signs of brain damage used were: psychometric test, delirium tremens and withdrawal seizures. Liver disease was examined by biopsy and liver function tests. The signs of dysfunction were compared with drinking pattern, amount of alcohol consumption and duration of abuse. The group was fairly homogeneous with respect to these variables. The patients showed a considerable degree of brain and liver damage, but relevant significant correlations between the criteria of brain and liver disease could not be demonstrated. This may support the hypothesis that the brain and the liver, in the same individual, react differently to alcohol.