Power Point Slides Alcohol - Meagher Lab

Heavy Drinking and Health
! Alcohol intoxication
! -50% of suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths.
! Poison to nearly all organ systems
! Neural effects- brain and neuropsychological dysfunction
! ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA-blackouts impaired consolidation
! CNS PATHOLOGY DUE TO B VITAMINE DEFICIENCY -
Thiamine, 10% of alcoholics are affected by this syndrome,
treat with thiamine
! -WERNICKE'S ENCEPHALOPATHY - short term- acute occular
disturbances, ataxia, confusion, excitement untreated =
Korsakoff's syndrome
! -KORSAKOFF'S SYNDROME -extreme confusion, memory
impairment, confabulations not affected by thiamine,
damage to mammilary bodies, thalamus, -CORTICAL
ATROPHY -especially frontal lobes