Brain alcohol detectability increase with repeated administration in humans: a proton spectroscopy study.
Proton MRS was used to detect brain alcohol after repeated alcohol exposure in human subjects. MRS detectability measurements were made after administration of an alcoholic drink (0.6 g/kg alcohol) and after an identical drink administrated 6 h later. Between-drink differences in the methyl proton triplet resonance of ethyl alcohol were assessed at statistically equivalent and near-peak blood alcohol concentrations (reflecting brain alcohol concentrations) and statistically equivalent internal standard N-acetyl resonance areas after Drinks 1 and 2, respectively. Brain alcohol detectability was not altered in TE 30-ms spectra but was increased in all five subjects after Drink 2 by an average of 70% in TE 270-ms spectra (p < 0.01). This was accompanied by significant between-drink differences in subjective ratings of alcohol's effects, suggestive of induction of acute alcohol tolerance. These findings suggest increased brain alcohol detectability in TE 270-ms spectra after repeated alcohol exposure that may reflect acute alcohol tolerance.
Kaufman
M J
MJ
Department of Neurology, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178, USA.
Chiu
T M
TM
Mendelson
J H
JH
Woods
B T
BT
Teoh
S K
SK
Erös-Sarnyai
M
M
Mercer
G
G
Mello
N K
NK
D000328:Adult; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male
D000431:Ethanol