title: Brain atrophy in alcoholics: relationship with alcohol intake; liver disease; nutritional status, and inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brain atrophy is a common finding in alcoholics. Several mechanisms may be involved, including ethanol itself, malnutrition, liver failure, and, possibly, ethanol-induced hormone and cytokine changes. The aim of this study was to analyse the relation of brain atrophy-assessed by computerized tomography (CT) scan-and the aforementioned alterations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF alpha, PTH, estradiol, free testosterone, and corticosterone were measured in 36 alcoholics, ten of them cirrhotics, who also underwent brain CT, which recorded the presence of cortical atrophy or cerebellar atrophy, Evan's, Huckmann's, cella media, bicaudate, cortical atrophy, bifrontal, and ventricular indices, and diameter of the third ventricle; subjective nutritional assessment, midarm anthropometry, and evaluation of liver function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients showed marked alterations of all the CT indices compared with 12 controls, but poor relations between these indices and the other parameters analysed (IGF-1, handgrip strength and years of addiction with bifrontal index (P < 0.025 in all cases); PTH and Evan's index (r = 0.36, P = 0.032); mean corpuscular volume with cella index and cortical atrophy (P < 0.05). Cerebellar atrophy was associated with a greater daily ethanol consumption (t = 2.19, P = 0.034).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brain atrophy is frequently observed in alcoholics, but relationships with liver function, cytokines, nutritional status, and hormone levels are poor.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario.Ofra s/n, Tenerife, Canary Islands Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Valdecasas-Campelo
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Reimers
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santolaria-Fernández
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: De La Vega-Prieto
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milena-Abril
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Pérez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Riera
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001284:Atrophy; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011859:Radiography