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Brain atrophy and cognitive function in older abstinent alcoholic men
V Di Sclafani1, F Ezekiel, D J Meyerhoff
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Francisco, USA.
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Older abstinent alcoholics show persistent cognitive impairments, particularly in memory and visual-spatial skills, despite no significant global brain atrophy. This suggests other factors contribute to these lasting cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Radiology
Background:
- Chronic alcoholism is associated with cognitive deficits and brain changes.
- Understanding the persistence of these effects after abstinence is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain atrophy and cognitive function in older abstinent alcoholic men compared to controls.
- To identify the underlying substrates of persistent cognitive impairments in alcoholism.
Main Methods:
- Computer-aided magnetic resonance image (MRI) analysis for brain atrophy.
- Age-normed neuropsychological tests for cognitive function assessment.
- Comparison between 14 older abstinent alcoholic men and 11 older controls.
Main Results:
- Abstinent alcoholics exhibited significant cognitive impairments in memory and visual-spatial-motor skills.
- No significant difference in global cerebral atrophy was detected between groups.
- A stronger association between age and ventricular dilation was observed in alcoholics.
Conclusions:
- Persistent cognitive impairments in abstinent alcoholics are not solely explained by MRI-detectable global brain atrophy.
- Global atrophic changes associated with alcoholism may not be ubiquitous or could be reversible with abstinence.