Correlation of pre-morbid alcoholism and changes in the level of biogenic amine metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid of accute brain infarction patients.

BACKGROUND The disorder of biogenic amine metabolism (serotonin - 5-HT and dopamine - DA) is expected in the brain (neuron) damage caused by acute ischemia. It is known that long-term abuse of ethyl-alcohol damages the quality of neurons diffusely in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and its biochemical content, 5-HT and DA, are reliable indicators of the vitality of neurons. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate that the elevated content of metabolites 5-HT and DA in the CSF in patients with acute brain infarction, who were pre-morbid alcohol-dependent patients, is additionally emphasized by diffusive damage of neuron vitality caused by alcoholism. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Study sample consists of two groups - 50 alcohol-dependent patients with acute brain infarction under the age of 65 (group A) and 50 patients with acute brain infarction who were not alcohol-dependent (group B). All subjects underwent the same procedure - CSF was taken during admission to the hospital and history was obtained through anamnesis, heteroanamnesis and clinical examinations. RESULTS Metabolism of DA and metabolic turnover of DA (3, 4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid + homovanilic acid; DOPAC + HVA) was elevated in the liquor of both patient groups. The statistically significant difference between the groups was found in metabolic turnover of 5-HT (p<0.05), and metabolic turnover of DA (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The metabolic neuron disbalance, i.e. their pathophysiological-biochemical dysfunction as a result of acute brain infarction, is present in a higher degree in patients with pre-morbid long-term alcohol abuse.