BRAIN IMPAIRMENT IN WELL-NOURISHED CHRONIC-ALCOHOLICS IS RELATED TO ETHANOL INTAKE

To determine the influence of chronic ethanol intake on the central ne rvous system, we studied 40 asymptomatic, well-nourished, chronic alco holics (mean age, 42.6 +/- 9.1 years) and 20 age-, sex-, and education -matched control subjects. Studies included neuropsychological testing , visual and short-latency auditory evoked potentials, and morphometri c analysis of computed tomography scans. The mean daily ethanol consum ption of the alcoholics was 204 gm over an average of 26.4 years. Comp ared to control subjects, chronic alcoholics exhibited a significant p rolongation of the P100 latency of visual evoked potentials, and a pro longation and reduction in the amplitude of the latency of the V wave of short-latency auditory evoked potentials. These abnormalities were related to the lifetime dose of ethanol consumed. Brain morphometric a nalysis showed that alcoholics had a significantly greater degree of b rain shrinkage with age, compared to control subjects. The cortical at rophy index correlated significantly with the lifetime ethanol consump tion. Neuropsychological testing in alcoholics compared to controls re vealed a significant impairment of frontal skills that was related to age, degree of scholarship, and the presence of frontal atrophy. In co nclusion, well-nourished chronic alcoholics exhibited significant brai n impairment, as demonstrated by neuropsychological testing, evoked po tentials, and brain morphometric analysis, which was correlated with t he lifetime dose of ethanol consumed.