ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ALCOHOLIC INTOXICATION AND THE ALCOHOL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME

Abstract

In a previous publication, Isbell, et al.(i) describe the results of a study on the effects of experimental chronic alcoholic intoxica-tion and abrupt withdrawal of alcohol in 10 former narcotic addicts who received an average of 266 to 489 cc. of 95 % ethyl alcohol for 7-87 days. Their studies indicated that when the daily dose was spread evenly over 24 hours, as much as 397-466 cc. of 95 % ethyl alcohol could be consumed with-out significant elevation of blood alcohol level (i.e., o mg. % or over), or clinical evidence of intoxication. However, small increases in dosage resulted in high blood levels and gross intoxication. When such doses were main-tained, blood alcohol levels and degree of in-toxication declined rapidly over a period of several days, but further slight increase in dosage again resulted in elevated blood alco-hol levels and gross intoxication. Later, the degree of intoxication decreased, even though large quantities of alcohol were consumed daily, and blood alcohol levels remained high. After abrupt withdrawal of alcohol, varying degrees of weakness, tremulousness, and ex-cessive perspiration appeared in all subjects. In 6 individuals, who had been continuously intoxicated 35 days or longer, anorexia, in-somnia, hyperrefiexia, fever, elevation of blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and diar-rhea developed also. Generalized convulsions occurred in 2 subjects, frank delirium in 3, and transitory hallucinosis in 2-all during the abstinence period (first week after abrupt withdrawal of alcohol). Recovery was com-plete in all cases. The authors called atten-tion to the general similarity of the alcohol abstinence syndrome to that which follows ‘Read at the xi ith annual meeting of The Ameri-