Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1986 Dec;49(12):1348–1353. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.49.12.1348

Contribution of traumatic head injury to neuropsychological deficits in alcoholics.

M Hillbom, L Holm
PMCID: PMC1029117  PMID: 3806110

Abstract

The contribution of head injuries to neuropsychological deficits was studied in 157 recently detoxified alcoholics and 400 control subjects consisting of age-stratified randomly selected men and women from the same geographical area as the alcoholics. Head injuries had occurred in 41% and 22% of the male and female alcoholics, but only in 15% and 6% of the male and female control subjects. One third of the injured subjects in both groups had been admitted to hospital for treatment of the acute injury. The neuropsychological test results of alcoholics were significantly inferior to those of control subjects. Unexpectedly, alcoholics with head injuries not identified at hospital were significantly inferior in several Halstead-Reitan subtests when compared with uninjured alcoholics with a similar duration of alcoholism and abstinence. By contrast, control subjects who had sustained a head injury not identified at hospital did not show signs of intellectual impairment when compared with uninjured controls. We conclude that traumatic brain injuries that may cause significant intellectual impairment may easily remain unrecognised in alcoholics.

Full text

PDF
1352

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bergman H., Axelsson G., Ideström C. M., Borg S., Hindmarsh T., Makower J., Mützell S. Alcohol consumption, neuropsychological status and computer-tomographic findings in a random sample of men and women from the general population. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1983;18 (Suppl 1):501–505. doi: 10.1016/0091-3057(83)90225-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brismar B., Engström A., Rydberg U. Head injury and intoxication: a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Acta Chir Scand. 1983;149(1):11–14. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carlen P. L., Wilkinson D. A., Wortzman G., Holgate R. Partially reversible cerebral atrophy and functional improvement in recently abstinent alcoholics. Can J Neurol Sci. 1984 Nov;11(4):441–446. doi: 10.1017/s0317167100045972. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Earnest M. P., Yarnell P. R. Seizure admissions to a city hospital: the role of alcohol. Epilepsia. 1976 Dec;17(4):387–393. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1976.tb04450.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Flamm E. S., Demopoulos H. B., Seligman M. L., Tomasula J. J., De Crescito V., Ransohoff J. Ethanol potentiation of central nervous system trauma. J Neurosurg. 1977 Mar;46(3):328–335. doi: 10.3171/jns.1977.46.3.0328. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gentilini M., Nichelli P., Schoenhuber R., Bortolotti P., Tonelli L., Falasca A., Merli G. A. Neuropsychological evaluation of mild head injury. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1985 Feb;48(2):137–140. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.48.2.137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Grant I., Adams K. M., Reed R. Aging, abstinence, and medical risk factors in the prediction of neuropsychologic deficit among long-term alcoholics. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Jul;41(7):710–718. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790180080010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hillbom M. E. Occurrence of cerebral seizures provoked by alcohol abuse. Epilepsia. 1980 Oct;21(5):459–466. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1980.tb04296.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Holt S., Stewart I. C., Dixon J. M., Elton R. A., Taylor T. V., Little K. Alcohol and the emergency service patient. Br Med J. 1980 Sep 6;281(6241):638–640. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6241.638. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Honkanen R., Visuri T. Blood alcohol levels in a series of injured patients with special reference to accident and type of injury. Ann Chir Gynaecol. 1976;65(4):287–294. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lee K., Møller L., Hardt F., Haubek A., Jensen E. Alcohol-induced brain damage and liver damage in young males. Lancet. 1979 Oct 13;2(8146):759–761. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)92113-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Persson L., Rosengren L. Increased blood-brain barrier permeability around cerebral stab wounds, aggravated by acute ethanol intoxication. Acta Neurol Scand. 1977 Jul;56(1):7–16. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1977.tb01404.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rutherford W. H. Diagnosis of alcohol ingestion in mild head injuries. Lancet. 1977 May 14;1(8020):1021–1023. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91256-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Tarter R. E., Alterman A. I. Neuropsychological deficits in alcoholics: etiological considerations. J Stud Alcohol. 1984 Jan;45(1):1–9. doi: 10.15288/jsa.1984.45.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES