Alcohol's Effects on the Brain: Neuroimaging Results in Humans and Animal Models.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of human neuroimaging and animal literature without systematic search or meta-analysis
PubMed 28988573 · doi:10.35946/arcr.v38.2.04
What was done
Narrative review examining human and animal neuroimaging studies (MRI, DTI, and MRS) across drinking, sobriety, and relapse. The review focuses on chronic alcohol-induced structural and biochemical alterations as well as co-occurring conditions, including Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsakoff's syndrome, and hepatic encephalopathy.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, effect sizes, or statistical metrics. Qualitatively, it reports that MRI demonstrates white-matter volume deficits and selective gray-matter damage, distinguishing permanent lesions from those that reverse with abstinence; DTI characterizes white-matter microstructural disruption; and MRS quantifies neurochemical metabolite alterations.
Why it matters
Synthesizes multimodal neuroimaging findings to clarify the macrostructural, microstructural, and biochemical impact of chronic alcohol use and highlights potential pathways for neural recovery during abstinence.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative data, sample sizes, or study selection methodology. As a narrative review, it does not include systematic quality appraisal or quantitative meta-analysis.
Cited by
- supports Former heavy alcohol users can experience a partial recovery of brain white matter after a period of abstinence.