Reversibility of brain-stem evoked potential abnormalities in abstinent chronic alcoholics: one year follow-up.

Estudáronse os potenciais evocados auditivos de tronco cerebral (PEATC) en 34 alcohólicos crónicos que levaban un ano de abstinencia, e nun grupo de control emparellado en sexo e idade. Os doentes foron examinados tres veces, ao cabo de un mes, cinco meses e un ano de comezar o tratamento de abstinencia. Tras un mes de abstinencia, os alcohólicos amosaban diferenzas con respecto aos controis na latencia do pico V (p < . 01), e nos intervalos III-V (p < .01) e I-V (p < .01). Logo de un ano de abstinencia observouse unha mellora significativa nos parámetros rexistrados da onda V (p < .01) e dos intervalos III-V (p < .01) e I-V (p < .01). O cambio máis notable producíuse no período entre os 5 e 12 meses, cun acurtamento da latencia de I (p < .01) e do intervalo I-V (p < .01); nos cinco primeiros meses houbo só un acurtamento do intervalo III-V (p < .01). Esta mellora tamén se víu reflectida na diminución no número de doentes con anomalías nos parámetros dos PEATC. A recuperación de funcións deterioradas polo consumo crónico de alcohol logo de un ano de abstinencia foi incompleto, pero a tendencia apunta cara á normalización.Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were studied in 34 chronic alcoholics who had been abstinent for 1 year, and in age- and sex-matched control subjects. The patients were examined 3 times, at 1 month, 5 months and 1 year after the start of the abstinence treatment. At 1 month of abstinence the alcoholics showed differences with respect to controls in the peak V latency (P < 0.01), and in the III-V (P < 0.01) and I-V (P < 0.01) intervals. After 1 year of abstinence a significant improvement in the V (P < 0.01), III-V (P < 0.01) and I-V (P < 0.01) parameters was recorded. The most notable development was in the 5-12 month period, with shortening i latency (P < 0.01) and in the I-V interval (P < 0.01); in the first 5 months there was only shortening in the III-V interval (P < 0.01). This improvement was also indicated by a decrease in the number of patients with BAEP parameter abnormalities. The recovery of the functions impaired by chronic alcohol consumption after 1 year of abstinence was incomplete, although the tendency was towards normalization.