A Controlled Study of Cortical Gray Matter and Ventricular Changes in Alcoholic Men Over a 5-Year Interval

Abstract

During a 5-year period, brain volume shrinkage is exaggerated in the prefrontal cortex in normal aging with additional loss in the anterior superior temporal cortex in alcoholism. The association of cortical gray matter volume reduction with alcohol consumption over time suggests that continued alcohol abuse results in progressive brain tissue volume shrinkage.