REVERSIBILITY OF BRAIN-STEM EVOKED POTENTIAL ABNORMALITIES
IN ABSTINENT CHRONIC ALCOHOLICS: ONE YEAR FOLLOW-UP
Au ho s: Fe nando Cada ei a, Ma ga i a Co ominas, Soco o Rod íguez
Holguín, Miquel Sánchez-Tu e , Ca les G au
This is he pee e iewed e sion o he ollowing a icle: Cada ei a, F., Co ominas, M.,
Rod íguez Holguín, S., Sánchez-Tu e , M., & G au, C. (1994). Re e sibili y o b ain-
s em e oked po en ial abno mali ies in abs inen ch onic alcoholics: one yea ollow-up.
Elec oencephalog aphy and clinical neu ophysiology, 90(6), 450–455.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/0013-4694(94)90136-8
This a icle may be used o non-comme cial pu poses in acco dance wi h Else ie
e ms and condi ions o use o sel -a chi ed e sions.
1
Re e sibili y o b ain-s em e oked po en ial abno mali ies in abs inen
ch onic alcoholics: One yea ollow-up
Fe nando Cada ei aa, Ma ga i a Co ominasb, Soco o Rod íguez Holguína, Miquel
Sánchez-Tu e b, Ca les G aub
a Depa amen o de Psicoloxía Clínica e Psicobioloxía, Uni e sidade de San iago de
Compos ela, Campus Uni e si a io, 15706 San iago de Compos ela (Spain), and b Depa amen
de Psiquia ía i Psicobiologia Clínica, Uni e si a de Ba celona, Ba celona ( Spain)
(Accep ed o publica ion: 21 Janua y 1994)
Abs ac
B ain-s em audi o y e oked po en ials (BAEPs) we e s udied in 34 ch onic alcoholics
who had been abs inen o 1 yea , and in age- and sex-ma ched con ol subjec s. The
pa ien s we e examined 3 imes, a 1 mon h, 5 mon hs and 1 yea a e he s a o he
abs inence ea men . A 1 mon h o abs inence he alcoholics showed di e ences wi h
espec o con ols in he peak V la ency (P < 0.01), and in he III–V (p < 0.01) and I–V
(p < 0.01) in e als. A e 1 yea o abs inence a signi ican imp o emen in he V (p <
0.01), III–V (p < 0.01) and I–V (p < 0.01) pa ame e s was eco ded. The mos no able
de elopmen was in he 5–12 mon h pe iod, wi h sho ening i la ency (p < 0.01) and in
he I–V in e al (p < 0.01); in he i s 5 mon hs he e was only sho ening in he III–V
in e al (p < 0.01). This imp o emen was also indica ed by a dec ease in he numbe
o pa ien s wi h BAEP pa ame e abno mali ies. The eco e y o he unc ions impai ed
by ch onic alcohol consump ion a e 1 yea o abs inence was incomple e, al hough
he endency was owa ds no maliza ion.
Keywo ds
Alcoholism; Re e sibili y; B ain-s em audi o y e oked po en ials
Nume ous biomedical s udies ha e epo ed al e -a ions in he cen al ne ous sys em
(CNS) s uc u es and unc ions in alcoholics (Po jesz and Beglei e 1979; Ron e al.
1982). Al hough long- e m s udies o o me ch onic alcoholics mus be in e p e ed wi h
cau ion because o he ypically high a es o d op-ou om he sample (Mackenzie e
al. 1978), he e a e cu en ly a numbe o s udies o he e olu ion o abno mali ies
p oduced by ch onic consump ion o alcohol du ing con inued abs inence. These
s udies ha e mainly used neu o- adiological echniques (Ca ien e al. 1978; Ca ien
1979) which o e s uc u al mac oscopic da a on he e olu ion o al e a ions in di e en
a eas o he b ain (co ex, midb ain). The e olu ion o hese al e a ions du ing
abs inence has also been s udied om he neu opsychological poin o iew. These
echniques ha e shown a pa ial eco e y om he beha iou al pe spec i e (B and e
al. 1983; Yohman e al. 1985; Goldman and Goldman 1988).
None heless he e a e ew s udies which o e mo e speci ic da a conce ning he
unc ional e olu ion o subsys ems in CNS o alcoholic pa ien s which ha e become
a ec ed. B ain-s em audi o y e oked po en ials allow e alua ion o he unc ional
in eg i y o he audi o y pa hway, om he audi o y ne e o he halamic nuclei
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)
2
(Hashimo o 1989). Thei eco ding in alcoholic pa ien s consis en ly show al e a ions in
sho - e m abs inen pa ien s (Beglei e e al. 1981; Chu e al. 1982; Chan e al. 1985;
Chu 1985).
Using his echnique in ou labo a o y we ca ied ou a 1 yea ollow-up s udy on he
e e sibili y o abno mali ies caused by ch onic alcohol consump ion in pa ien s who
had emained abs inen o a long ime. The s udy in ol ed examina ions 1 mon h, 5
mon hs and 12 mon hs a e s a ing he abs inence in a g oup o alcoholics wi hou
se ious neu ological al e a ions, in o de o s udy he possibili y o sho - and long- e m
e e sibili y. This kind o ollow-up s udy, as well as o e ing da a conce ning he
e olu ion o he al e a ions obse ed in he ne ous sys ems o hese long- e m
abs inen pa ien s, may p o ide in o ma ion abou he na u e o he unde lying
pa hology.
Ma e ial and me hods
Thi y- ou ch onic alcoholics ini ially pa icipa ed in his s udy, all males, diagnosed and
ea ed by he Alcoholic Uni o he Hospi al Clínic i P o incial (Ba celona). They all me
he DSM-III c i e ia o alcoholism and we e aged be ween 23 and 56 yea s (mean 40.4
± 8.9). All he subjec s had his o ies o alcoholism o 8 yea s o mo e. In he selec ion
p ocess he ollowing pa ien s we e excluded: (1) hose wi h se ious psychia ic
diso de s; (2) hose wi h ca dio ascula , hepa ic o espi a o y disease; (3) hose wi h
neu ological diso de s; (4) hose wi h his o ies o head auma, coma o anoxia-
ischaemia; (5) hose who we e aund o ul il DSM-III c i e ia o d ug abuse o he han
alcoholism, excep smoking.
All pa ien s unde wen an ini ial neu ophysiological examina ion be ween 25 and 45
days a e gi ing up d inking. The ea men p og amme un by he Alcoholism Uni
includes adminis a ion o s anda d medica ion (calcium ca bomide, an alcohol-abuse
de e en ), and clome hiazole (a low- oxici y seda i e) in he i s week o ea men . No
pa ien had ecei ed medica ion in he p e ious 72 h.
Abs inence was moni o ed by he Alcoholic Se ice eam; alcohol le els we e
measu ed be o e each examina ion. Pa ien s who we e p esen a all he medica! es s
and g oup he apy sessions, and whose alcohol le el esul s we e nega i e, we e
included in he abs inen g oup. Twel e o he 34 subjec s in he ini ial g oup emained
abs inen o he ull yea . The membe s o his subg oup we e aged be ween 23 and
55, wi h an a e age age o 41.00 ± 6.8. The emaining 22 subjec s we e exluded om
he sample. No e ha mean BAEP pa ame e alues o he 1-yea -abs inen subg oup
as de e mined in he i s examina ion we e no signi ican ly di e en om he
co esponding mean alues de e mined a he same ime o he whole ini ial 34-
subjec g oup.
The con ol g oup we e 34 male subjec s ma ched subjec - o-subjec wi h he
alcoholics by sex and age (mean 36.1 ± 8.3 yea s). They me he addi ional selec ion
c i e ia o he pa ien g oup and we e abs inen s o spo adic d inke s (unde 20 g
alcohol/ day).
EP eco ding
BAEP eco ding was pe o med using pu e in elec odes posi ioned in an elas ic cap
(Elec ocap, lnc.). S imula ion and ampli ica ion, il e ing, a e aging and g aphical
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)
3
analysis o he signa) we e ca ied ou using a SICAN neu ophysiological eco ding
appa a us. Con amina ed ials we e elimina ed om u he analysis by an au oma ic
a i ac ejec ion. Impedance e-mained unde 5 kΩ a all imes du ing sessions.
The EP signals we e ob ained simul aneously, ipsila e ally and con ala e ally, by using
e e ence elec odes loca ed on bo h mas oids and an ac i e elec ode a he e ex.
We epo only ipsila e al eco ds in his s udy. The g ound elec ode was placed on he
o ehead. Po en ials we e e oked by monau al audi o y s imuli consis ing o clicks o
al e na e pola i y wi h a du a ion o 100 µsec, an in ensi y o 110 dB SPL, and a
s imula ion equency o 10 Hz. The EP signal was ampli ied 100,000 imes and il e ed
wi h a bandpass o 200-3000 Hz (12 dB/ oc a e). Each po en ial was ob ained om he
a e age o 2000 esponses o a 10 msec pe iod.
P ocedu e
To pe o m he neu ophysiological es s, subjec s we e sea ed in a com o able
a mchai in a sound-p oo ed dimly li and elec ically p o ec ed oom. The hea ing o
pa ien and con ol g oups was assessed audiologically wi h he same clicks as used
o BAEPs. Subjec s whose audiological h eshold was abo e 40 dB SPL we e no
accep ed o BAEP s udies.
All eco ding sessions ook place be ween 11.30 and 14.30 h o a oid he possibili y o
ci cadian a ia ions. The componen s s udied we e he la encies o peaks I, III and V,
and he in e peak in e als I-III, III-V and I-V o bo h ea s. These pa ame e s we e
iden i ied by he compu e p og am wi hou ega d o subjec diagnosis.
S a is ical analysis
S a is ical analyses we e pe o med using he SPSS so wa e package. Da a o BAEP
pa ame e s unde wen 2-way ANOVA o each g oup (alcoholics and con ols) X ea
(le o igh ) o e alua e he di e ences be ween he alcoholic and con ol g oups.
BAEP pa ame e s we e una ec ed by ea ; consequen ly, in u he calcula ions an
a e age alue was aken o bo h ea s o he subjec examined, in o de o simpli y he
analysis and in e p e a ion o he esul s. Linea eg ession analysis was used o
in es iga e he posible e ec s o (a) he 25-45 days o abs inence p eceding he i s
examina ion, and (b) age, on BAEP pa ame e alues in he alcoholic g oup a i s
examina ion and o e he e olu ion wi h sus ained abs inence. Nei he numbe o days
o abs inence be o e he i s examina ion no age we e signi ican sou ces o a iance
in BAEP pa ame e alues. Thus, hese ac o s did no a ec ou esul s.
The in asubjec s udy o he BAEP pa ame e s o e he 3 examina ions was ca ied
ou using epea ed measu es ANOVA. In all cases he Bon e oni-Holm p ocedu e was
used o co ec he signi icance le el o he F alues.
To s udy he e olu ion o he expe imen al g oup wi h espec o he con ol g oup
du ing he i s yea o abs inence, a con idence in e al was es ablished a 97.5% o
he alues o each o he BAEP pa ame e s o he con ol popula ion. The mean alue
o he alcoholic g oup was la e compa ed in each o he 3 examina ions, wi h he
con ol popula ion con idence in e al.
Finally, we calcula ed he numbe o alcoholic pa ien s ha showed clinically abno mal
eco ds. A BAEP eco d was conside ed o be abno mal i he alue o any o i s
pa ame e s was 2.5 S.D. g ea e han he con ol g oup mean.
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)
4
Resul s
E olu ion o BAEP pa ame e alues wi h abs inence
A e 1 mon h o abs inence, he alcoholics showed la encies o peak V (p < 0.01) and
in e peak in e als o III-V (p < 0.01) and I-V (p < 0.01) which we e signi ican ly longe
han con ol g oup seo es.
On s udying he e olu ion o each pa ame e in he subsequen examina ions using
epea ed measu es ANOVA, we no ed a signi ican educ ion in he la ency o
pa ame e s V (p < 0.01), III-V (p < 0.01) and I-V (p < 0.01) a e 12 mon hs o
abs inence. The e olu ion was mos no able be ween 5 and 12 mon hs wi h sho ening
o peak V la ency (p < 0.01) and he in e al I-V (p < 0.01), compa ed wi h he i s 5
mon hs, in which he e was only sho ening o he in e al III-V (p < 0.01) (see Table 1).
Table I. F alues gi en by 1-way ANOVA o epea ed measu es o BAEPs o abs inen ch onic alcoholics.
Resul s ob ained om he compa isons be ween 1 mon h and 5 mon hs, be ween 5 and 12 mon hs, and
be ween 1 mon h and 12 mon hs o abs inence.
G oup I III V I-III III-V I-V
Alcoholics
(1 m s. 5 m)
F
0.92
0.47
3.55
0.03
12.18
3.26
p
N.S.
N.S.
N.S.
N.S.
0.00*
N.S.
Alcoholics
(5 m s. 12 m)
F
0.00
3.82
21.05
3.41
2.22
11.88
p
N.S.
N.S.
0.00
N.S.
N.S.
0.01*
Alcoholics
(1 m s. 12 m)
F
1.11
0.95
15.18
2.25
14.10
13.07
p
N.S.
N.S.
0.01*
N.S.
0.00*
0.01*
*p < 0.01 as co ec ed by he Bon e oni-Holm p ocedu e.
Fo he s udy o he e olu ion o he esul s o he alcoholic g oup wi h espec o he
con ol g oup, we calcula ed he in e al o con idence (97.5% o he con ol g oup
alues) o each pa ame e in he con ol popula ion (I: 1.46-1.56; III: 3.535-3.785; V:
5.29-5.54; I-III: 2.00-2.30; III-V: 1.66-1.87; 1-V: 3.76-4.06). Bea ing in mind he mean
alues o he alcoholic g oup shown in Table I, we see ha a 1 and 5 mon hs o
abs inence he alcoholics showed alues which a e highe han he con ols and
beyond he uppe limi s o he p e ious V, III-V and I-V in e als o con idence. A e 1
yea o abs inence, peak V la ency was g ea e han he uppe limi o he in e al, peak
III-V was a he highes poin bu wi hin his limi , and I-V showed no mal alues (see
Table II and Fig. 1).
Indi idual impai men
The calcula ion o he numbe o indi idual impai men s is shown in Table III; we see a
p og essi e all o e he i s yea o abs inence in he numbe o pa ien s wi h
abno mali ies in he pa ame e s V, III-V and I-V (in acco dance wi h he c i e ion
conside ed). A e 1 mon h o abs inence, 5 pa ien s o he 12 ha ollowed he
ea men o 1 yea showed impai men in a leas one BAEP pa ame e , 3 alcoholics
showed abno mali ies a e 5 mon hs, and a e 1 yea only 2 pa ien s s ill had impai ed
pa ame e s. Du ing he yea o abs inence he e was imp o emen in all he subjec s
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)

5
who p esen ed anomalies in BAEPs, bo h among pa ien s whose pa ame e s had
become no mal and among hose whose pa ame e s we e s ill abno mal.
Table II. Means (m) and s anda d de ia ions (S.D.) o BAEPs o abs inen ch onic alcoholics ob ained a e
1 mon h, a e 5 mon hs, and a e 1 yea o abs inence, and hei con ol be ween 1 mon h and 12 mon hs
o abs inence.
G oup I III V I-III III-V I-V
Alcoholics
(1 m)
m
1.50
3.75
5.78
2.25
2.03
4.28*
S.D.
0.08
0.15
0.20
0.16
0.20
0.22
Alcoholics
(5 m)
m
1.53
3.77
5.71*
2.24
1.94
4.18*
S.D.
0.11
0.17
0.21
0.16
017
0.22
Alcoholics
(12 m)
m
1.53
3.71
5.59*
2.18
1.88
4.06
S.D.
0.11
0.14
0.21
0.18
0.20
0.21
Con ols
m
1.51
3.66
5.42
2.15
1.76
3.91
S.D.
0.08
0.18
0.16
0.21
0.16
0.20
*Va iables exceeding he uppe limi o he con idence in e als.
Fig. l. BAEPs o (i) a ypical alcoholic-g oup subjec (A) a he 3 examina ions (a e 1, 5 and 12 mon hs o
abs inence) and (ii) he co esponding con ol subjec (C). No e he ini ially long peak V la ency and 1-V
in e al in A, and he dec easing end o hese pa ame e s o e he s udy pe iod.
Discussion
E ec s o ch onic alcohol abuse
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)
6
As desc ibed in p e ious wo ks om ou and o he labo a o ies (Po jesz and Beglei e
1979; Cada ei a 1988; Cada ei a e al. 1991) he exis ence o neu ological
abno mali ies in he b ain-s em o ch onic alcoholics a e 1 mon h is con i med:
leng hening o he peak V la ency (p < 0.01) and he in e peak in e als III-V (p < 0.01)
and I-V (p < 0.01).
Table III. Numbe (N) o alcoholics wi h abno mal pa ame e s a e 1 mon h, 5 mon hs and 1 yea o
abs inence ( alues 2.5 S.D. highe han con ol g oup mean).
Pa ame e
N (1 m)
N (5 m)
N (12 m)
I
0
0
0
III
0
0
0
V
5
3
2
I-III
0
0
0
III-V
3
1
1
I-V
4
2
0
Abno m. in some pa ame e s
5
3
2
E olu ion wi h abs inence
Du ing he 5 i s mon hs o abs inence he e was imp o emen in he alcoholic g oup
and dec ease in he mean alues o he abno mal BAEP peaks, e en hough he
dec ease was only signi ican in he III-V in e al (p < 0.01). F om he clinical poin o
iew, we obse ed a all in he numbe o pa ien s wi h abno mal BAEPs. These esul s
coincide pa ially wi h hose o Chan e al. (1985), who ound a signi ican sho ening o
he I-III (p < 0.01)) and I-V (p < 0.01) in e als. The di e ences in e ms o impai men
and e olu ion o he I-III in e al may be due o he cha ac e is ics o hei pa ien s.
Chan s udied pa ien s wi h We nicke-Ko sako synd ome who ecei ed i amin
ea men and a sui able die du ing hei ime in hospi al. The di e ences in he
componen s a ec ed and apid eco e y a e cha ac e is ic o his ype o pa ien . In
acco dance wi h hese esul s, Po jesz and Beglei e , in hei e iew o 1985, e e ing
o unpublished da a, epo ed an imp o emen in la encies and cen al ansmission
ime in a g oup o hospi alized ch onic alcoholics a e 4 mon hs o abs inence, e en
hough he e we e s ill di e ences wi h espec o he con ol g oup.
A e 1 yea o abs inence ou esul s show signi ican sho ening in he V la ency (p <
0.01) and in he III-V (p < 0.01) and I-V (p < 0.01) in e peak in e als. We no e ha he
eco e y a e is highe be ween 5 and 12 mon hs han in he i s pe iod. Howe e ,
eco e y is no comple e since he mean o he I-V in e al is abo e he uppe limi
es ablished o he con ol g oup. These esul s co ela e wi h hose o he
neu o adiological s udies. The CT scans show abno mali ies in he alcoholic g oup wi h
e idence o en icula dila a ion and enla gemen o he co ical sulci. The
mo phological abe a ions o alcoholics a e pa ially e e sible du ing he i s yea o
abs inence (Ca len e al. 1978; Ca len 1979; Ron e al. 1982; Cala e al. 1983; Ca len
e al. 1986) bu he eco e y is no comple e as compa ed wi h he p e alence o
a ophy in he sample o he gene al popula ion. So ne au ho s (Lynch 1960; Muu onen
e al. 1989) de ec anomalies in a eas o he mid-b ain in e alua ions 5 yea s a e
cessa ion o d inking. Acco ding o hese s udies, he e a e abno mali ies ha pe sis
a e long pe iods o abs inence.
The p og essi e e olu ion o he alues o he pa ame e s, s udied in he sample o
alcoholic pa ien s du ing he i s yea o abs inence, sugges s ha he e olu ion
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)
7
owa ds no mali y may ake place la e in hose pa ien s who ha e no shown a
comple e eco e y du ing he i s yea . Howe e , a long- e m longi udinal ollow-up
s udy would be necessa y o de e mine whe he his e olu iona y endency con inues,
o whe he so ne anomalies a e pe manen . Po jesz and Beglei e (1985), again
e e ing o unpublished da a, ound no abno mali ies in b ain-s em po en ials, in a
sample o non-hospi alized alcoholic pa ien s who had emained abs inen o a pe iod
o be ween 3 and 10 yea s; none heless, hese pa ien s had no been examined a he
s a o abs inence, so we do no know whe he hey showed b ain-s em po en ial
abno mali ies.
In ou sample o alcoholic pa ien s he abno mali ies caused by he ch onic
consump ion o alcohol e ol e a ou ably wi h con inued abs inence. None heless, he
scale o his e olu ion is s ill o be de e mined, as is he ques ion o whe he he deg ee
o unc ional imp o emen is independen o he se e i y o he ini ial impai men . Wi h
ega d o he la e ques ion i would be impo an o de e mine whe he he e is a le el
o impai men beyond which eco e y is impossible, o beyond which he e is some
de e io a ion. This in o ma ion would be o g ea use in es ablishing a hypo hesis abou
he pa hophysiological mechanisms o hese impai men s.
The cha ac e is ic abno mali ies in he la e BAEP peaks o alcoholics ha e gene ally
been in e p e ed as being due o a d op in he speed o signa! ansmission in he
audi o y pa hway (speci ically he cen al and pos e io pon ine). This may be due o
any o a ious ac o s including demyelina ion, p obably as a esul o elec oly ic
dis u bances (Kleinschmid -DeMas e s and No enbe g 1981, 1982), changes in
memb ane p ope ies, changes in g oss o ine neu onal s uc u e. The classic s udy o
Víc o e al. (1959) showed ha , in alcoholic pa ien s, loss o neu ones occu s in he
in e io oli es, he es ibula nuclei and o he b ain-s em nuclei. Mo e ecen ly, Chu
(1985) epo ed ha in abs inen o me alcoholics he e is a co ela ion be ween he
BAEP abno mali ies and he p esence o s uc u al b ain-s em damage (enla ged b ain
cis e ns and a ophy o he b ain-s em); hese s uc u al abno mali ies appea o be
mo e se e e in alcoholics wi h We nicke-Ko sako synd ome, in whom lesions,
including demyelina ion and, less equen ly, neu one loss, a e cha ac e is ically
obse ed in he g ey ma e o he diencephalon and in b ain-s em. Seconda y e ec s
associa ed wi h anoxia-ischaemia o malnu i ion, and changes in neu o ansmi e
me abolism mus also be conside ed in he o igin o BAEP abno mali ies.
Changes in he BAEPs o alcoholics a e a pe iod o abs inence may be a ibu able o
comple e o pa ial e e sal o one o mo e o he abo e ypes o e ec . Ou esul s
indica e ha mos o he ele an BAEP pa ame e s e-a ain no mal alues wi hin 1
yea o abs inence, whils a ew o he ele an pa ame e s emain abno mal beyond
his ime. One possible explana ion o his pa e n is ha he obse ed eco e y o e 1
yea o abs inence is due o egene a ion o neu onal ine s uc u e (damage o axonic
e mina- ions, loss o dend i ic connec ions ... ), and hose pa ame e s which emain
abno mal beyond his ime a e he esul o pe sis en damage o he CNS a he g oss
s uc u al le el (wi h neu onal loss o pe sis en unc ional disablemen ). Thus, ou
esul s p o ide suppo o he hypo hesis ha he no maliza ion o BAEPs a e a long
pe iod o abs inence is due o s uc u al eco e y a he han o mo e immedia e
biochemical changes ha occu in he i s pe iod o abs inence.
Indi idual impai men
Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)
8
The esul s o each pa ien indica e ha indi idual di e ences exis in e ms o he ime
necessa y o he e-es ablishmen o unc ional no mali y. Fu he s udies wi h la ge
samples enabling us o s udy he possible co ela ion be ween he deg ee o eco e y
and o he ac o s, such as he age o he pa ien s, a e necessa y. Ou da a a e no only
along he same lines as esul s ob ained using o he me hodologies bu suppo he
ea lie a i ma ion ha he e a e g ea di e ences in e ms o indi idual suscep ibili y o
alcohol (Cada ei a e al. 1992). In he same way, no all he pa ien s wi h b ain-s em
abno mali ies show an equally a ou able e olu ion du ing long- e m abs inence.
In sum, du ing he i s yea o con inued abs inence he e is a p og essi e e olu ion
owa ds no mali y in he unc ional abno mali ies de ec ed in he b ain-s em o ch onic
alcoholic pa ien s. This e olu ion is mo e ma ked be ween 5 and 12 mon hs, al hough
a e 1 yea o abs inence he e a e s ill signi ican di e ences compa ed wi h he
con ol g oup. Consequen ly, al hough abno mali ies in b ain-s em po en ials caused by
ch onic alcohol consump ion a e only pa ially e-e sible du ing his i s yea , he
endency is owa ds no maliza ion.
Funding
This wo k was pa ially suppo ed by G an PM91-0159-C02- 01/02 om he Spanish
Di ección Gene al de In es igación Cien í ica y Técnica (Minis e io de Educación y
Ciencia).
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Pos -p in ( inal d a pos - e e eeing)