THE PATTERN OF REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW DURING ALCOHOL-WITHDRAWAL- A SINGLE-PHOTON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY STUDY WITH TC-99M-HMPAO

Cerebral blood flow was investigated during alcohol withdrawal in 15 m ale alcoholics by single photon emission computerized tomography with Tc-99m-HMPAO and compared with the results of a second study 3 weeks l ater when all symptoms of withdrawal had disappeared and when the pati ents had been free of medication for at least 1 week. Slice images wer e reconstructed parallel to the orbitomeatal plane, and tracer activit y was analyzed in 8 regions of interest per hemisphere. During alcohol withdrawal a special pattern of cerebral blood flow distribution coul d be observed. Relative perfusion was elevated in both inferior tempor al regions, whereas it was reduced in the superior temporal region of both hemispheres. The changes of cerebral blood flow distribution did not correlate with neuropsychological findings nor with the severity o f withdrawal syndrome.