PET and SPECT findings in alcohol hallucinosis: case report and super-brief review of the pathophysiology of this syndrome.
Alcohol hallucinosis is a rare complication of chronic alcoholism with schizophreniform symptomatology. The pathophysiology is basically unclear. We report the case of a 48-year-old, never-medicated, long-term alcoholic suffering from alcohol hallucinosis with pure acoustic hallucinations for at least six months. Current FDG PET data suggest a hypofrontality and possibly a thalamic hypofunction in alcohol hallucinosis, findings similar to those reported in unmedicated schizophrenics. Current IBZM SPECT data do not support a dopamine receptor dysfunction in alcohol hallucinosis but TRODAT SPECT showed reduced dopamine transporter binding. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.
Soyka
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany. michael.soyka@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
Dresel
S
S
Horak
M
M
Rüther
T
T
Tatsch
K
K
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001549:Benzamides; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013577:Syndrome; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D001549:Benzamides; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D012701:Serotonin; C055743:3-iodo-2-hydroxy-6-methoxy-N-((1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl)benzamide