Citation

Gansler DA, Harris GJ, Oscar-Berman M, Streeter C, Lewis RF, Ahmed I, Achong D. J. Stud. Alcohol 2000; 61(1): 32-37.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10627094

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study evaluated hypotheses concerning the relationship between cerebral hypoperfusion and residual deficits in the functioning of frontal brain systems in abstinent long-term alcoholics. METHOD: The participants (N = 22) were 10 healthy, abstinent alcoholics (9 men) and 12 age-equivalent nonalcoholic controls (10 men). Cerebral blood flow was observed through the use of regionally specific computer-derived quantitative analysis of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion images. Measures of alcohol use, abstinence and neuropsychological functioning were also obtained to relate to SPECT findings. RESULTS: A positive relationship was observed between perfusion levels in the left inferior frontal brain region and years of sobriety. Alcoholics with less than 4 years of sobriety had significantly reduced left inferior frontal perfusion compared with both nonalcoholic controls and alcoholics having longer periods of sobriety. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the hypothesis that frontal brain abnormalities in alcoholics may subside with extended abstinence.

Language: en