ATROPHY OF THE CORPUS-CALLOSUM IN CHRONIC-ALCOHOLISM

To determine the prevalence of corpus callosum atrophy in chronic alco holics and its relationship to cognitive function and brain atrophy, a prospective clinicoradiologic study was carried out in 28 right-hande d male patients with chronic alcoholism and 14 age- and sex-matched ri ght-handed control subjects. Clinical evaluation, neuropsychological t esting and measurement of the midsagittal corpus callosum area and thi ckness (genu, truncus and splenium), as well as the frontal lobe index and the width of the cortical sulci on T-1- and T-2-weighted magnetic resonance images were performed. Compared to controls, alcoholics had significantly decreased corpus callosum area and thickness, mainly in the genu, Two-thirds had a corpus callosum area 2 SD below the mean o f the control group. The sagittal area of the corpus callosum body cor related negatively with the degree of frontal and cortical atrophies ( r = -0.5579 and -0.6853, respectively p < 0.01, both). Alcoholics with corpus callosum atrophy exhibited impairment of visual and logical me mories (p < 0.05 both) and those with reduced thickness of the genu sh owed impairment of frontal lobe tasks (p < 0.05). The reduction of cor pus callosum indices (age-corrected) also correlated with the total li fetime dose of ethanol consumed (r = 0.6107, p < 0.001), but was not r elated to nutritional status or electrolyte imbalance. Atrophy of the corpus callosum is common among alcoholic patients and may reflect the severity and pattern of cortical damage. The degree of this atrophy a lso correlated with the severity of ethanol intake. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.