[Quantitative electroencephalography features and cognitive impairment in alcoholic patients]. / Características del electroencefalograma cuantitativo y trastornos cognitivos en pacientes alcohólicos.

AIM: To determine the exact relation between the characteristics of quantitative electroencephalogram analyses and the estimators of the cognitive status in alcoholic patients undergoing withdrawal. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study examined 49 patients diagnosed with alcoholism (DSM-IV) after 10 days of withdrawal, as well as the correlation between the bandwidth measures from the quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) analysis and the characteristics of the visual and auditory cognitive evoked potentials (P300) and from the findings of the attention and memory tests. RESULTS: The patients were divided into two groups: group one, which displayed an overall increase in the delta and theta absolute powers with frontal predominance, and group two, with reduced delta and theta absolute powers. Latency of the P300 wave was delayed in patients, particularly in those in group one, but regional absence of the P300 wave was more frequent in group two. Results of attention and memory tests were abnormal in patients, especially those in group one. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in the two groups appear to reflect different stages in the progression of alcoholism: the first only involved cortical dysfunction due to metabolic causes and the second possibly had added cortical atrophy. They might also represent two types of biological response by their nervous systems to the same pathogenic agent. These findings suggest that it is advisable to conduct follow-up studies involving qEEG, cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in this kind of patient.

Características del electroencefalograma cuantitativo y trastornos cognitivos en pacientes alcohólicos / Quantitative electroencephalography features and cognitive impairment in alcoholic patients

Objetivo. Se diseñó este trabajo para determinar la relación existente entre las características del análisis cuantitativo del electroencefalograma y los estimadores del estado cognitivo en pacientes alcohólicos en abstinencia. Sujetos y métodos. Se estudió a 49 pacientes con el diagnóstico de alcoholismo (DSM-IV) con 10 días de abstinencia así como la correlación existente entre las medidas de banda ancha del análisis cuantitativo del electroencefalograma (qEEG) y las características de los potenciales evocados cognitivos visual y auditivo (P300) y de los resultados de las pruebas de atención y de memoria. Resultados. Los pacientes se clasificaron en dos grupos: el grupo 1, con un aumento global con predominio frontal de los poderes absolutos delta y theta, y el grupo 2, con disminución de los poderes absolutos delta y theta. La latencia de la onda P300 estuvo retardada en los pacientes, principalmente en el grupo 1, pero la ausencia regional de onda P300 fue más frecuente en el grupo 2. Las pruebas de atención y de memoria fueron anormales en los pacientes, principalmente en los del grupo 1. Conclusiones. Aparentemente, los resultados en ambos grupos reflejan diferentes etapas en la evolución del alcoholismo: el primero solamente con disfunción cortical de origen metabólico y el segundo posiblemente con atrofia cortical añadida; también pudieran representar dos tipos de respuesta biológica de sus sistemas nerviosos ante el mismo agente patógeno. Estos resultados sugieren la conveniencia de realizar estudios de seguimiento en este tipo de pacientes que utilicen qEEG, pruebas cognitivas y resonancia magnética cerebral

Aim. To determine the exact relation between the characteristics of quantitative electroencephalogram analyses and the estimators of the cognitive status in alcoholic patients undergoing withdrawal. Subjects and methods. The study examined 49 patients diagnosed with alcoholism (DSM-IV) after 10 days of withdrawal, as well as the correlation between the bandwidth measures from the quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) analysis and the characteristics of the visual and auditory cognitive evoked potentials (P300) and from the findings of the attention and memory tests. Results. The patients were divided into two groups: group one, which displayed an overall increase in the delta and theta absolute powers with frontal predominance, and group two, with reduced delta and theta absolute powers. Latency of the P300 wave was delayed in patients, particularly in those in group one, but regional absence of the P300 wave was more frequent in group two. Results of attention and memory tests were abnormal in patients, especially those in group one. Conclusions. The findings in the two groups appear to reflect different stages in the progression of alcoholism: the first only involved cortical dysfunction due to metabolic causes and the second possibly had added cortical atrophy. They might also represent two types of biological response by their nervous systems to the same pathogenic agent. These findings suggest that it is advisable to conduct follow-up studies involving qEEG, cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in this kind of patient