Brain metabolite changes in alcoholism: localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the occipital lobe.

Chronic alcoholism is associated with altered brain metabolism, morphology and cognitive abilities. Besides deficits in higher order cognitive functions, alcoholics also show a deficit in the processing of basic sensory information viz. visual stimulation. To assess the metabolic changes associated with this deficit, (1)H MRS was carried out in the occipital lobe of alcohol dependents. A significant increase in Cho/Cr ratio (p<0.015) was observed in occipital lobe in the alcoholic group indicating altered cell membrane metabolism, which may probably be associated with the alterations in the cognitive abilities associated with vision.