Impairments of brain and behavior: the neurological effects of alcohol.
paper
Cited
Public
- Authors
- Oscar-Berman, M; Shagrin, B; Evert, D L; Epstein, C
- Year
- 1997
- Journal
- Alcohol health and research world
- PMID
- 15706764
- PMCID
- PMC6826797
Chronic heavy drinking and alcoholism can have serious repercussions for the functioning of the entire nervous system, particularly the brain. These effects include changes in emotions and personality as well as impaired perception, learning, and memory. Neuropathological and imaging techniques have provided evidence of physical brain abnormalities in alcoholics, such as atrophy of nerve cells and brain shrinkage. At the cellular level, alcohol appears to directly affect brain function in a variety of ways, primarily by interfering with the action of glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and other neurotransmitters. Neurological disorders also can result from vitamin deficiency and liver disease, two health problems that commonly occur with alcoholism. Other hypotheses, based on factors such as aging, gender, and genetics, have been developed to explain various alcohol-related neurological consequences. Many pharmacological treatments to improve neuropsychological functioning in alcoholics have been tested, but none has proved entirely successful. With prolonged abstinence, however, slow recovery of cognitive functioning can occur in some cases.
Sources of neurological complications of alcohol and alcoholism.SOURCE: Adapted from Bernat, J.L., and Victor, M. The Neurological Complications of Alcohol and Alcoholism. Unit 7. 2d ed. Developed by the Project Cork Institute at Dartmouth Medical School. Timonium, MD: Milner-Fenwick, 1994.
Schematic of a lengthwise cross-section through the human brain. Brain structures that most frequently have been implicated in alcohol-related neurological disorders include parts of the diencephalon (i.e., the mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus and the dorsomedial nucleus within the thalamus), the cerebral cortex, and several central neuro-transmitter (i.e.,nerve cell communication) systems.
Schematic of a cross-section through the human brain. Brain structures that have been implicated in alcohol-related neurological disorders include parts of the limbic system (i.e., the hippocampus and the amygdala), the mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus, and the dorsomedial nucleus within the thalamus.SOURCE: Adapted from Nieuwenhuys, R.; Voogd, J.; and van Huijzen, C. The Human Central Nervous System: A Synopsis and Atlas. New York: Springer Verlag, 1988.
Schematic representation of perceptual and language functions in the right and left cerebral hemispheres of the human brain.
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| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| Abnormal brain electrical activity local | phenotype |
| Abnormal response perseveration local | phenotype |
| abstainers | phenotype |
| Abstainers with positive family history local | cohort |
| abstinence | phenotype |
| Abstraction deficit local | phenotype |
| acetylcholine | drug |
| adverse effects | phenotype |
| age | phenotype |
| Age-matched nonalcoholics local | cohort |
| Age-related symptoms local | phenotype |
| aggression | phenotype |
| agitation | phenotype |
| alcohol | phenotype |
| alcohol abuse | phenotype |
| Alcoholic blackout local | phenotype |
| alcoholic liver disease | phenotype |
| Alcoholics aged 48-74 local | cohort |
| Alcoholics without positive family history local | cohort |
| Alcoholics with positive family history local | cohort |
| alcoholism | phenotype |
| Alcoholism-related brain changes local | phenotype |
| Alcohol neurotoxicity local | drug |
| Alcohol neurotoxicity | phenotype |
| alcohol-related abnormalities local | phenotype |
| alcohol-related brain damage | phenotype |
| Alcohol-related cognitive decline local | phenotype |
| Alcohol-related damage local | phenotype |
| alcohol-related diseases | phenotype |
| Alcohol-related neurological dysfunction local | phenotype |
| ammonia | drug |
| amnesia | phenotype |
| amygdala | anatomy |
| Anterograde amnesia | phenotype |
| apoptosis | phenotype |
| Atrophy of nerve cells local | phenotype |
| auditory laterality tasks local | phenotype |
| Blood vessel dilation local | phenotype |
| body temperature | phenotype |
| brain | anatomy |
| brain glucose metabolism | phenotype |
| Brain shrinkage | phenotype |
| Brain structure changes local | phenotype |
| Brain structure differences local | phenotype |
| brain systems | anatomy |
| Brain tissue loss | phenotype |
| cardiovascular disease | phenotype |
| catecholamines | drug |
| central nervous system | anatomy |
| central neurotransmitter systems local | anatomy |
| cerebellum | anatomy |
| cerebral blood flow | phenotype |
| cerebral hemispheres | anatomy |
| children of alcoholics | cohort |
| chronic alcoholism | phenotype |
| chronic pain | phenotype |
| Chronological aging local | phenotype |
| cognition | phenotype |
| cognitive ability | phenotype |
| cognitive decline | phenotype |
| cognitive test performance local | phenotype |
| control subjects | cohort |
| coordination | phenotype |
| cortex | anatomy |
| cortical atrophy local | phenotype |
| Cortical atrophy local | phenotype |
| Cortical damage local | phenotype |
| Cortical shrinkage | phenotype |
| Cross-modal functioning local | phenotype |
| CT imaging local | anatomy |
| Deep brain structures | anatomy |
| Delayed visual processing local | phenotype |
| Delirium tremens local | phenotype |
| depression | phenotype |
| detoxified alcoholics local | cohort |
| diencephalon | anatomy |
| disinhibition | phenotype |
| Drinkers with negative family history local | cohort |
| Drinkers with positive family history local | cohort |
| drugs | drug |
| Dual vulnerability local | phenotype |
| early alcohol use | phenotype |
| Elderly nonalcoholic people local | cohort |
| Emotion | phenotype |
| Emotional abnormalities local | phenotype |
| Emotional apathy local | phenotype |
| Emotional functioning local | phenotype |
| Emotion impairment local | phenotype |
| endorphin | drug |
| epilepsy | phenotype |
| family history of alcoholism | phenotype |
| Female alcoholics | phenotype |
| food intake | phenotype |
| Frontal brain metabolism local | phenotype |
| Frontal brain systems local | anatomy |
| frontal cortex | anatomy |
| Frontal-system dysfunction local | phenotype |
| Functional cerebral laterality patterns local | phenotype |
| GABAA receptor | drug |
| Gamma-aminobutyric acid | drug |
| glutamate | drug |
| gray matter | anatomy |
| harmful neurological consequences local | phenotype |
| Head injury | phenotype |
| heavy drinking | phenotype |
| Hemorrhage | phenotype |
| hepatic encephalopathy | phenotype |
| higher consciousness local | phenotype |
| hippocampus | anatomy |
| human brain | anatomy |
| hypothalamus | anatomy |
| hypothermia | phenotype |
| Imbalance local | phenotype |
| Impaired intellectual functioning local | phenotype |
| Increased vulnerability local | phenotype |
| Increased vulnerability hypothesis local | phenotype |
| insomnia | phenotype |
| intelligence | phenotype |
| intelligent behavior local | phenotype |
| Intoxicated alcoholics local | phenotype |
| IQ | phenotype |
| Judgment local | phenotype |
| Korsakoff's syndrome | phenotype |
| Korsakoff’s syndrome | phenotype |
| Korsakoff syndrome | phenotype |
| Korsakoff syndrome alcoholics local | cohort |
| language | phenotype |
| Laterality tasks | phenotype |
| learning | phenotype |
| learning and memory | phenotype |
| Learning deficit local | phenotype |
| Left cerebral hemisphere local | anatomy |
| limbic system | anatomy |
| Liver cirrhosis | phenotype |
| liver disease | phenotype |
| liver injury | phenotype |
| long-term memory | phenotype |
| long-term potentiation | phenotype |
| Loss of inhibitions local | phenotype |
| magnesium | drug |
| Male alcoholics | phenotype |
| malnutrition | phenotype |
| Manganese local | drug |
| medication | drug |
| melodies local | phenotype |
| membrane lipids | drug |
| memory | phenotype |
| men | cohort |
| Mental functioning impairment local | phenotype |
| metabolic functions local | phenotype |
| Mood and behavioral disorders local | phenotype |
| Motor vehicle accidents | phenotype |
| MRI imaging local | anatomy |
| Muscular coordination local | phenotype |
| music local | phenotype |
| Negative family history of alcoholism local | phenotype |
| Nerve growth factors local | drug |
| Nerves local | anatomy |
| neurological disorders | phenotype |
| Neurological disturbances local | phenotype |
| Neuron activity local | phenotype |
| neurons | phenotype |
| neuropsychological deficits | phenotype |
| Neuropsychological dysfunction local | phenotype |
| Neuropsychological dysfunctions local | phenotype |
| neuropsychological functions local | phenotype |
| Neuropsychological problems local | phenotype |
| neuropsychological test performance | phenotype |
| neurotransmitters | drug |
| nonalcoholic | cohort |
| nonalcoholic control subjects | cohort |
| Nondrinking sons of alcoholics local | cohort |
| non-KS alcoholics local | cohort |
| Non-KS alcoholics local | cohort |
| nutritional deficiencies local | phenotype |
| older alcoholics | phenotype |
| olfaction | phenotype |
| Overt toxicity local | phenotype |
| perception | phenotype |
| peripheral nervous system | anatomy |
| Peripheral neuropathy local | phenotype |
| Personality changes | phenotype |
| personality traits | phenotype |
| Pharmacological treatments local | drug |
| planning | phenotype |
| Poor attention local | phenotype |
| Poorer IQ performance local | phenotype |
| Positive family history of alcoholism | phenotype |
| Potential alcoholism local | phenotype |
| premature aging | phenotype |
| problematic alcohol use | phenotype |
| Problem-solving deficit local | phenotype |
| problem-solving deficits local | phenotype |
| protracted abstinence | phenotype |
| psychological function | phenotype |
| Receptor local | drug |
| Receptors local | drug |
| Reduced P300 wave amplitude local | phenotype |
| Relapsers local | cohort |
| REM sleep | phenotype |
| Right hemisphere dysfunction local | phenotype |
| Right Hemisphere Dysfunction local | phenotype |
| Same-age nonalcoholic control subjects local | cohort |
| Saturday night palsy local | phenotype |
| sedatives | drug |
| serotonin | drug |
| severity of alcoholism local | phenotype |
| sex | phenotype |
| Sexual response local | phenotype |
| short-term memory | phenotype |
| Short-term memory impairment local | phenotype |
| sleep | phenotype |
| Sleep fragmentation local | phenotype |
| spatial memory | phenotype |
| spinal cord | anatomy |
| Staggering local | phenotype |
| stroke | phenotype |
| sulci | anatomy |
| tactile laterality tasks local | phenotype |
| tactual learning deficits local | phenotype |
| temperature regulation | phenotype |
| temporal lobe | anatomy |
| thalamus | anatomy |
| thiamine | drug |
| thiamine deficiency | drug |
| ventricles | anatomy |
| visual association deficits local | phenotype |
| visual laterality tasks local | phenotype |
| Visuospatial deficits | phenotype |
| Vitamin deficiency local | phenotype |
| vulnerable alcoholics local | phenotype |
| water intake | phenotype |
| Withdrawal seizures local | phenotype |
| women | cohort |
| words local | phenotype |
| Young alcoholics | phenotype |
| Younger alcoholics local | cohort |
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