ABSTINENCE MAY REPAIR BRAIN DAMAGE

Brain damage suffered by long-term alcoholics may be partially reversible with abstinence, says a University of Toronto neurological researcher.

Dr. Peter Carlen, who is also a neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital, says severe alcoholics - whether overdosing on beer, wine or liquor, who quit drinking may recover some of their impaired memory, co-ordination, and ability to reason and learn new tasks.

"This is the first time anyone has shown reversible cerebral atrophy (wasting) in adult human beings," Carlen said in an interview.

Carlen does not say entire brain cells - called neutrons - regenerate and grow. But he and his associates theorize that tiny threads, called dendrites, which carry impulses into nerve cells, can recover and grow if not irrevocably damaged by alcohol.

Along with the dendrite regrowth, there may also be regeneration in other nerve fibres, supporting tissues and small vessels.

Carlen and his associates are based at the Addiction Research Foundation Clinical Institute of Ontario.

They developed their theory on the basis of a series of special brain x-rays taken of eight chronic alcoholics.

The patients, all with more than 10 year histories of heavy drinking, received no special treatments. As part of the studies, six patients stopped drinking, while two continued.

The first x-ray scans of four abstainers initially showed a loss of cerebral tissue and large cavities in the brain. Months later, scans showed smaller cavities and what appeared to be more nerve tissue.

The other two abstainers showed no change either, But Carlen and his associates said changes could have occurred before the first scan was taken.

Carlen said there was no data to show whether alcoholics with brain damage who drank less, or for a shorter period of time, were more likely to recover mental functions than others.

"But we have evidence to show that all chronic alcoholics who drink for 10 years or more have signs of cerebral atrophy."

Carlen said studies are continuing on the amount of regeneration possible after extreme impairment.

"The whole thing is interesting because while psychiatric literature indicated that regeneration is possible, nothing neurological writings ever backed it up. Now we are starting to find out."

DON SAYS: Scary stuff! I drank for over 20 years, gradually increasing the pattern of drinking more and more until I was at a point that I would (a.) quit drinking completely, or (b.) sink into the morass of alcoholism with no hope of return. Saints be praised I took the right path. I quit drinking at the age of 36. It was one of the most difficult things I ever faced in my life, and I made it. YOU CAN TOO!

NOTE: This article appeared in the 70's and some of the information, and the persons named could have changed.