Related Experiment Videos
Auditory brainstem response study of alcoholic patients
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Auditory brainstem responses revealed prolonged central conduction times in nearly half of alcoholic patients, particularly those with neurological complications like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Alcoholism is frequently associated with neurological damage.
- Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) can detect central nervous system dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate auditory brainstem response abnormalities in alcoholic patients.
- To correlate ABR findings with the presence and type of neurological complications.
Main Methods:
- Auditory brainstem responses were recorded from 52 alcoholic patients.
- Patients were assessed for various neurological complications of alcoholism.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of the patients exhibited prolonged central conduction time (Wave I to V interval) on ABRs.
- ABR abnormalities were more common in patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, dementia, or cerebellar degeneration.
- All patients with three or more neurological complications showed abnormal ABRs.
Conclusions:
- ABRs are sensitive to neurological damage in alcoholism.
- Prolonged central conduction time on ABRs is a significant indicator of alcoholism-related neurological impairment.