Effects of lifetime ethanol consumption on postural control: a computerized dynamic posturography study.
The relationship between lifetime alcohol consumption and postural control was investigated in 35 subjects with no clinically-detectable neurologic abnormalities, using computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) procedures. The estimated total number of lifetime alcoholic drinks was positively correlated with anteroposterior sway spectral power within the 2-4 Hz and 4-6 Hz frequency bands, in three Sensory Organization Test (SOT) conditions: eyes closed with stable support surface (SOT 2), eyes open with sway-referenced support (SOT 4), and eyes closed with sway-referenced support (SOT 5). All correlations remained significant after controlling for subject age, and were increased after excluding nine drug-abusing subjects. In contrast to the strong findings for frequency-based measures, no correlation was observed using conventional amplitude-based sway measures. These results suggest that 1) alcohol consumption compromises postural control in an exposure-dependent manner, and 2) sway frequency analysis reveals pathological processes not manifested in conventional CDP measures of sway amplitude.
Ahmad
Saad
S
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Misssouri 63108, USA.
Rohrbaugh
John W
JW
Anokhin
Andrey P
AP
Sirevaag
Erik J
EJ
Goebel
Joel A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D013695:Temperance