Alcohol Induced Psychotic Disorder: a comparitive study in patients with alcohol dependance, schizophrenia and normal controls

[摘要] Alcohol-induced psychotic disorder (also known as alcohol hallucinosis) is acomplication of alcohol abuse that requires clinical differentiation from alcoholwithdrawal delirium and schizophrenia. Although extensively described, fewstudies utilized standardized research instruments and brain-imaging has thusfar been limited to case reports. The aim of this study was to prospectivelycompare four population groups (ie. patients with alcohol-induced psychoticdisorder, schizophrenia, uncomplicated alcohol dependence and a healthyvolunteer group) according to demographic, psychopathological and brainimagingvariables utilizing (i) rating scales and (ii) single photon emissioncomputed tomography (SPECT). The third component of the study wasdesigned to investigate the (iii) effect of anti-psychotic treatment on thepsychopathology and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) before and after sixweeks of treatment with haloperidol. Effort was made to ensure exclusion ofcomorbid medical disorders, including substance abuse. The study providesfurther supportive evidence that alcohol-induced psychotic disorder can bedistinguished from schizophrenia. Statistically significant differences in rCBFwere demonstrated between the alcohol-induced psychotic disorder and othergroups. Changes in frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, thalamic andcerebellar rCBF showed statistically significant negative correlations withpost-treatment improvement on psychopathological variables and implydysfunction of these areas in alcohol-induced psychotic disorder. The studywas unable to distinguish between pharmacological effects and improvementacccomplished by abstinence from alcohol.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University