Alcoholism: averaged visual evoked response amplitude-intensity slope and symmetry in withdrawal

Alcohol withdrawal has been characterized in terms of some EEG changes but seldom in terms of the averaged evoked response. Characteristics of the AER, such as amplitude, latency, and the least-squares slope of the AER amplitude as a function of stimulus intensity, have been found to change as a function of arousal and to separate some psychiatric groups. Seventeen alcoholics in withdrawal, 27 stabilized alcoholics, and 30 control volunteer subjects participated in an experiment to determine the changes in AER characteristics in withdrawal. Four stimulus intensities were presented to the subjects from a Grass PS 22 photostimulator with the flash sources 102 cm from the nasion. AER amplitude, the slope of the amplitude as a function of stimulus intensity, and bilateral symmetry scores were calculated for group comparison. Withdrawal and stabilized alcoholics were found to have significantly greater AER amplitudes at all intensity levels. Greater A-I slope from the right hemisphere and higher symmetry were found for withdrawal alcoholics than the other two groups.