ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between alcohol consumption and cerebral atrophic changes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-four second stage alcoholic patients at the age of 30-55 years were examined using magneto-resonance imaging of the brain combined with psychological testing of cognitive functions and the TLFB technique. Based on the TLFB technique, patients were stratified into mild and heavy alcohol consumers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All patients had signs of atrophy in the cerebral cortex, especially in its fronto-parietal parts, the corpus callosum and paraventricular white matter. The degree of the atrophy and weakening of cognitive functions in the mild alcohol consumers was considerably higher than in the heavy alcohol consumers. This suggests the relatively higher sensitivity to alcohol in such patients that is associated with less favorable outcome.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/diagnosis , Cerebral Cortex/pathology , Adult , Alcoholism/pathology , Cognition , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Organ SpecificityABSTRACT
This project explores the cross-national construct validity of the Alcohol Dependence Syndrome. The investigation also examines basic psychometric properties of the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS), an instrument commonly employed to measure dependence. Subjects consisted of inpatients and outpatients in American and Russian alcoholism treatment programs. Despite some variations, an orthogonal four factor structure of the ADS appears similar across the two cultural samples, thus lending support to the alcohol dependence construct. Analyses of psychometric properties of the Scale generally support its value in future cross-cultural research on alcohol dependence.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/diagnosis , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium/diagnosis , Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium/psychology , Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium/rehabilitation , Alcoholism/psychology , Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Russia , United StatesABSTRACT
Using items from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, dimensionality of the alcohol dependence syndrome was assessed in clinical samples in the United States and Russia. In both groups, a single-factor model provided a high degree of goodness of fit thus demonstrating cross-cultural coherence of the construct. The item dealing with narrowing of the drinking repertoire is most disparate in each sample. Severity of alcohol consequences was moderately related to alcohol dependence in both samples. Demographic variables, however, correlated less with severity of consequences. After the effects of severity of dependence and demographics were removed, quantity/frequency of recent alcohol consumption did not contribute to severity of consequences. Country, however, remained a significant, but small, predictor of severity of alcohol consequences.
