In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy detection of human alcohol tolerance.
Alcohol tolerance was ascertained with in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in men who regularly consumed either large (10-20 drinks/week) or small (2-4 drinks/weeks) amounts of beverage alcohol. Brain ethanol concentrations were determined by MRS, and blood ethanol levels were measured by gas chromatography after controlled ethanol administration (0.8 g/kg). Brain-blood ethanol concentration ratios for heavy drinkers were significantly greater than ratios for occasional drinkers (P < 0.002). Inasmuch as ethanol tolerance covaries with the severity of dependence, MRS procedures may facilitate our understanding of alcohol tolerance and treatment of alcoholism.
Chiu
T M
TM
Department of Neurology, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178.
Mendelson
J H
JH
Woods
B T
BT
Teoh
S K
SK
Levisohn
L
L
Mello
N K
NK
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male
D000431:Ethanol