Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption disrupts a number of biologic sysยญ tems. Central nervous system pathology, associated with long-standing alcohol ingestion, has particularly deleterious consequences to the individual. Comproยญ mising brain functional integrity ultimately militates against psychosocial adยญ justment, and this process is inevitably reflected as a substantial economic loss to society in the form of costs for providing medical and social services, as well as disability and absenteeism from work. This book marshals the literature pertinent to the effects of chronic alcohol abuse on brain structure and functioning. The material is divided into two parts: basic research and clinical issues. In the first section, the manifest neurologic consequences are described across the different levels of biologic organization, these being brain morphology, neurochemistry, neurophysiology, and neuroยญ psychology. In recognition of the multifactorial etiology of alcohol-related brain pathology, the influence and role of hepatic, endocrine, and nutritional factors are also examined. The second section addresses clinical syndromes and disยญ orders. It will be noted that evidence accrued from recent research suggests that neurologic disturbances may actually antedate the onset of drinking in some alcoholics. Other clinically important issues discussed are the effects of alcohol on neurologic development, aging, and dementia. The book concludes with a discussion of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome, its mechanisms and manifesยญ tations. A fundamental objective of the editors was to illustrate that the consequences of chronic alcohol excess can be comprehensively understood within the perยญ spective of interrelated hierarchical systems of brain organization
CONTENT
I. Basic Research -- 1. Neuropathology of Alcohol Abuse -- 2. Ethanolโs Action on Brain Biochemistry -- 3. Endocrine Effects of Chronic Alcohol Abuse: HypothalamicโPituitaryโGonadal Axis -- 4. Nutrition and Alcoholism -- 5. Hepatocerebral Interactions -- 6. Human Brain Electrophysiology and Alcoholism -- 7. Neuroradiologic Investigations of Alcoholism -- 8. Neuropsychology of Alcoholism -- II. Clinical Issues -- 9. Biologic and Psychosocial Determinants in the Etiology of Alcoholism -- 10. Ethanol: Effect on Fetal Brain Growth and Development -- 11. Dementia Associated with Alcoholism -- 12. WernickeโKorsakoff Syndrome -- 13. Biologic Properties of Ethanol and the Biphasic Nature of Ethanol Withdrawal Syndrome
