Brain samples (superior frontal cortex, Brodmann area 9 and motor cortex, Brodmann area 4) were obtained from the Tissue Resource Center, University of Sydney, Australia (http://www.braindonors.org). A total of 30 cases, all males, including 15 alcoholic and 15 control subjects were analyzed (Table 1). Alcoholic and control cases were matched for age at death, and postmortem interval (PMI). Alcohol subjects met criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 4th edition, (American Psychiatric Association) [34] and also National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)/World Health Organization criteria as individuals who consumed greater than 80 g of ethanol per day for the majority of their adult lives. Controls had either abstained from alcohol completely or were social drinkers who consumed less than 20 g of ethanol per day on average. Cases with a history of poly drug abuse (evidence that the individual abused other drugs such as cocaine or heroin) or with medical complications such as liver cirrhosis and the Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome or alcoholic cases with concomitant diseases were excluded. Samples were taken by qualified pathologists under full ethical clearance
