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Computerized Tomographic Scan Assessment of Alcoholic Brain Damage and Its Potential Reversibility
Author(s) -
Carten P. L.,
Penn R. D.,
Fomazzari L.,
Bennett J.,
Wilkinson D. A.,
Wortzman G.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1986.tb05080.x
Subject(s) - atrophy , cerebral spinal fluid , cerebral atrophy , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , abstinence , neuroimaging , central nervous system , pathology , radiology , cardiology , psychology , anesthesia , psychiatry
The assessment of alcoholic brain damage by computerized tomographic (CT) scanning is reviewed and discussed. Alcoholics showed greater cerebral atrophy than aged‐matched neurological controls. Supratentorial atrophy measurements correlated significantly with some neurobehavioral assessment measures. The cerebral atrophy reversed in some subjects with maintained abstinence. Computerized assessment of cerebral spinal fluid volume (cerebral atrophy) and mean cerebral density showed decreased cerebral spinal fluid volume and increased cerebral density with maintained abstinence over 4 weeks in a group of 20 alcoholics. CT cerebellar measurements demonstrated atrophy in many subjects, but these measure‐menu did not correlate with measures of ataxia, cognitive impairment, supratentorial atrophy measurements, or age. An example of a magnetic resonance imaging scan of an alcoholic is given. Its advantages in avoiding bony artifact for posterior fossa atrophy estimations and its potential for in vivo description and localization of central nervous system metabolic abnormalities in alcoholism are discussed.